Deletion of podocyte Rho-associated, coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 2 protects mice from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) shares podocyte damage as an essential pathological finding. Several mechanisms underlying podocyte injury have been proposed, but many important questions remain. Rho-associated, coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) is a serine/threonine kinase responsible for a wide array of cellular functions. We found that ROCK2 is activated in podocytes of adriamycin (ADR)-induced FSGS mice and cultured podocytes stimulated with ADR. Conditional knockout mice in which the ROCK2 gene was selectively disrupted in podocytes (PR2KO) were resistant to albuminuria, glomerular sclerosis, and podocyte damage induced by ADR injection. In addition, pharmacological intervention for ROCK2 significantly ameliorated podocyte loss and kidney sclerosis in a murine

SUBMITTER: Matoba K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10987559 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature