Abstract
Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) is generally known to induce proliferation of cultured mesangial cells and is expressed in proliferative mesangial cells in anti-Thy1.1 mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (anti-Thy1.1 GN). The distribution of the FGF receptor (FGFR) has not been studied in anti-Thy1.1 GN, so we used in situ hybridization to determine whether cells expressing FGFR1-4 mRNAs could be detected. In normal rats, all glomeruli were negative for FGFR1-4 mRNA, but those of the mesangial proliferative phase expressed FGFR1-4 mRNA in proliferative mesangial cells. Proliferation of mesangial cells has not been observed in normal rats injected with FGF2 but it has been noted in anti-Thy1.1 rats injected with FGF2. These data and our results demonstrate that mesangial cells produce and release FGF2 after injury and that during the proliferative phase these cells upregulate FGFR in vivo. This study is the first to demonstrate expression of FGFR1-4, mRNAs in pathological glomeruli of anti-Thy1.1 GN. The FGF2 and FGFR1-4 genes were expressed in the proliferative mesangial cells. Upregulation of FGFR is necessary for mesangial proliferation by FGF2.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 501-508 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Virchows Archiv |
| Volume | 435 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1999 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledgments We wish to thank Dr. F. Myokai and Dr. N. Washio of Okayama University Dental School for their help with the initial studies to establish the in situ hybridization technique. This work was supported from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, and also by a Research Project Grant from Kawasaki Medical School.
Keywords
- Experimental mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis
- Growth factor