2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The role of ROCK2 in the progression of diabetic nephropathy
| Project/Area Number |
25860691
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Kidney internal medicine
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| Research Institution | Jikei University School of Medicine |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
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| Keywords | 糖尿病腎症 / Rho-kinase / ROCK2 / 糸球体上皮細胞 / Notch |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The small GTPase Rho and its downstream effector Rho-kinase, regulate a number of cellular processes, including organization of the actin cytoskeleton, cell adhesion and migration. Studies from our laboratory and others have shown that pharmacological inhibition of Rho-kinase in experimental diabetic models results in a significant reduction in albuminuria and glomerulosclerosis.
In this project, we investigated the role of Rho-kinase in the Notch pathway and glomerular podocyte loss under diabetic conditions. The activated Notch signaling and podocyte apoptosis were inhibited by the pharmacological or genetic blockade of Rho-kinase. Moreover, we found that ROCK2 isoform made dominant contribution to the regulation of Notch pathway. Collectively, these findings identify ROCK2 as a critical regulator of podocyte injury and the progression of diabetic nephropathy.
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| Free Research Field |
糖尿病学
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