Follicle-stimulating hormone promotes renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in aging women via the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway.

ABSTRACT: Estrogen withdrawal in aging women contributes to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the effect of high circulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels on renal dysfunction remains unknown. In this study, blood samples from 3,055 postmenopausal women were collected and tested, which showed that there was a strong negative correlation between eGFR and FSH levels (p < 0.001), independent of LH, testosterone, and estradiol. Functional FSHR was detected in renal tubular epithelial cells. In vivo, high circulating FSH levels promoted a phenotype of tubulointerstitial fibrosis, characterized by increases in 24-hr urine protein/creatinine ratio, serum Cr, serum BUN, and ECM deposition. Similar results obtained from cultured HK-2 cells showed that FSH increased the tra

SUBMITTER: Zhang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6718534 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature