TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lu, Yong-Ping
A1  - Reichetzeder, Christoph
A1  - Prehn, Cornelia
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Slowinski, Torsten
A1  - Chen, You-Peng
A1  - Yin, Liang-Hong
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Yang, Xue-Song
A1  - Adamski, Jerzy
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Fetal serum metabolites are independently associated with Gestational diabetes mellitus
JF  - Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology
N2  - Background/Aims: Gestational diabetes (GDM) might be associated with alterations in the metabolomic profile of affected mothers and their offspring. Until now, there is a paucity of studies that investigated both, the maternal and the fetal serum metabolome in the setting of GDM. Mounting evidence suggests that the fetus is not just passively affected by gestational disease but might play an active role in it. Metabolomic studies performed in maternal blood and fetal cord blood could help to better discern distinct fetal from maternal disease interactions. Methods: At the time of birth, serum samples from mothers and newborns (cord blood samples) were collected and screened for 163 metabolites utilizing tandem mass spectrometry. The cohort consisted of 412 mother/child pairs, including 31 cases of maternal GDM. Results: An initial non-adjusted analysis showed that eight metabolites in the maternal blood and 54 metabolites in the cord blood were associated with GDM. After Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) procedure and adjustment for confounding factors for GDM, fetal phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C 32:1 and proline still showed an independent association with GDM. Conclusions: This study found metabolites in cord blood which were associated with GDM, even after adjustment for established risk factors of GDM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating an independent association between fetal serum metabolites and maternal GDM. Our findings might suggest a potential effect of the fetal metabolome on maternal GDM. (c) 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel
KW  - Gestational diabetes
KW  - Metabolomics
KW  - Phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C 32:1
KW  - Proline
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1159/000487119
SN  - 1015-8987
SN  - 1421-9778
VL  - 45
IS  - 2
SP  - 625
EP  - 638
PB  - Karger
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Prommer, Hans-Ulrich
A1  - Maurer, Johannes
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Freise, Christian
A1  - Sommer, Kerstin
A1  - Nasser, Hamoud
A1  - Samapati, Rudi
A1  - Reglin, Bettina
A1  - Guimaraes, Pedro
A1  - Pries, Axel Radlach
A1  - Querfeld, Uwe
T1  - Chronic kidney disease induces a systemic microangiopathy, tissue hypoxia and dysfunctional angiogenesis
JF  - Scientific reports
N2  - Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with excessive mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endothelial dysfunction, an early manifestation of CVD, is consistently observed in CKD patients and might be linked to structural defects of the microcirculation including microvascular rarefaction. However, patterns of microvascular rarefaction in CKD and their relation to functional deficits in perfusion and oxygen delivery are currently unknown. In this in-vivo microscopy study of the cremaster muscle microcirculation in BALB/c mice with moderate to severe uremia, we show in two experimental models (adenine feeding or subtotal nephrectomy), that serum urea levels associate incrementally with a distinct microangiopathy. Structural changes were characterized by a heterogeneous pattern of focal microvascular rarefaction with loss of coherent microvascular networks resulting in large avascular areas. Corresponding microvascular dysfunction was evident by significantly diminished blood flow velocity, vascular tone, and oxygen uptake. Microvascular rarefaction in the cremaster muscle paralleled rarefaction in the myocardium, which was accompanied by a decrease in transcription levels not only of the transcriptional regulator HIF-1 alpha, but also of its target genes Angpt-2, TIE-1 and TIE-2, Flkt-1 and MMP-9, indicating an impaired hypoxia-driven angiogenesis. Thus, experimental uremia in mice associates with systemic microvascular disease with rarefaction, tissue hypoxia and dysfunctional angiogenesis.
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23663-1
SN  - 2045-2322
VL  - 8
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - London
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Hasan, Ahmed Abdallah Abdalrahman Mohamed
A1  - Reichetzeder, Christoph
A1  - Tsuprykov, Oleg
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Impact of vitamin D on pregnancy-related disorders and on offspring outcome
JF  - The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
N2  - Observational studies from all over the world continue to find high prevalence rates of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in many populations, including pregnant women. Beyond its classical function as a regulator of calcium and phosphate metabolism, vitamin D elicits numerous effects in the human body. Current evidence highlights a vital role of vitamin D in mammalian gestation. During pregnancy, adaptations in maternal vitamin D metabolism lead to a physiologic increase of vitamin D levels, mainly because of an increased renal production, although other potential sources like the placenta are being discussed. A sufficient supply of mother and child with calcium and vitamin D during pregnancy ensures a healthy bone development of the fetus, whereas lack of either of these nutrients can lead to the development of rickets in the child. Moreover, vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy has consistently been associated with adverse maternal and neonatal pregnancy outcomes. In multitudinous studies, low maternal vitamin D status was associated with a higher risk for pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus and other gestational diseases. Likewise, several negative consequences for the fetus have been reported, including fetal growth restriction, increased risk of preterm birth and a changed susceptibility for later-life diseases. However, study results are diverging and causality has not been proven so far. Meta-analyses on the relationship between maternal vitamin D status and pregnancy outcomes revealed a wide heterogeneity of studied populations and the applied methodology in vitamin D assessment. Until today, clinical guidelines for supplementation cannot be based on high-quality evidence and it is not clear if the required intake for pregnant women differs from non-pregnant women. Long-term safety data of vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women has not been established and overdosing of vitamin D might have unfavorable effects, especially in mothers and newborns with mutations of genes involved in vitamin D metabolism. Reliable data from large observational and interventional randomized control trials are urgently needed as a basis for any detailed and safe recommendations for supplementation in the general population and, most importantly, in pregnant women. This is of utmost importance, as ensuring a sufficient vitamin D-supply of mother and child implies a great potential for the prevention of birth complications and development of diseases.
KW  - Vitamin D deficiency
KW  - Free vitamin D
KW  - Vitamin D binding protein
KW  - Epigenetics
KW  - DNA methylation
KW  - Single nucleotide polymorphism
KW  - Preeclampsia
KW  - Gestational diabetes mellitus
KW  - Small for gestational age
KW  - Long term health
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2017.11.008
SN  - 0960-0760
VL  - 180
SP  - 51
EP  - 64
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hasan, Ahmed Abdallah Abdalrahman Mohamed
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Reichetzeder, Christoph
A1  - Tsuprykov, Oleg
A1  - Gaballa, Mohamed Mahmoud Salem Ahmed
A1  - Guo, Jingli
A1  - Zeng, Shufei
A1  - Delic, Denis
A1  - Tammen, Harald
A1  - Klein, Thomas
A1  - Kleuser, Burkhard
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Mechanisms of GLP-1 receptor-independent renoprotective effects of the dipeptidyl peptidase type 4 inhibitor linagliptin in GLP-1 receptor knockout mice with 5/6 nephrectomy
JF  - Kidney international : official journal of the International Society of Nephrology
N2  - Dipeptidyl peptidase type 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors were reported to have beneficial effects in experimental models of chronic kidney disease. The underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. However, these effects could be mediated via the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)/GLP-1 receptor (GLP1R) pathway. Here we investigated the renal effects of the DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin in Glp1r-/- knock out and wild-type mice with 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6Nx). Mice were allocated to groups: sham + wild type + placebo; 5/6Nx+ wild type + placebo; 5/6Nx+ wild type + linagliptin; sham + knock out+ placebo; 5/6Nx + knock out+ placebo; 5/6Nx + knock out+ linagliptin. 5/6Nx caused the development of renal interstitial fibrosis, significantly increased plasma cystatin C and creatinine levels and suppressed renal gelatinase/collagenase, matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -13 activities; effects counteracted by linagliptin treatment in wildtype and Glp1r-/- mice. Two hundred ninety-eight proteomics signals were differentially regulated in kidneys among the groups, with 150 signals specific to linagliptin treatment as shown by mass spectrometry. Treatment significantly upregulated three peptides derived from collagen alpha-1(I), thymosin beta 4 and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein Al (HNRNPA1) and significantly downregulated one peptide derived from Y box binding protein-1 (YB-1). The proteomics results were further confirmed using western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy. Also, 5/6Nx led to significant up-regulation of renal transforming growth factor-beta 1 and pSMAD3 expression in wild type mice and linagliptin significantly counteracted this up-regulation in wild type and GIplr-/- mice. Thus, the renoprotective effects of linagliptin cannot solely be attributed to the GLP-1/GLP1R pathway, highlighting the importance of other signaling pathways (collagen I homeostasis, HNRNPA1,YB-1,thymosin beta 4 and TGF-beta 1) influenced by DPP-4 inhibition.
KW  - chronic kidney disease
KW  - collagen I
KW  - fibrosis
KW  - Glp1r(-/-) mice
KW  - HNRNPA1
KW  - linagliptin
KW  - proteomic analysis
KW  - TGF-beta 1
KW  - thymosin beta 4
KW  - YB-1
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2019.01.010
SN  - 0085-2538
SN  - 1523-1755
VL  - 95
IS  - 6
SP  - 1373
EP  - 1388
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Reichetzeder, Christoph
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Tsuprykov, Oleg
A1  - Samarin, Azadeh Mohagheghi
A1  - Falke, Luise Gabriele
A1  - Putra, Sulistyo Emantoko Dwi
A1  - Hasan, Ahmed Abdallah Abdalrahman Mohamed
A1  - Antonenko, Viktoriia
A1  - Curato, Caterina
A1  - Rippmann, Joerg
A1  - Klein, Thomas
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Head-to-head comparison of structurally unrelated dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors in the setting of renal ischemia reperfusion injury
JF  - British journal of pharmacology : journal of The British Pharmacological Society
N2  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Results regarding protective effects of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors in renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) are conflicting. Here we have compared structurally unrelated DPP4 inhibitors in a model of renal IRI. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH IRI was induced in uninephrectomizedmale rats by renal artery clamping for 30 min. The shamgroup was uninephrectomized but not subjected to IRI. DPP4 inhibitors or vehicle were given p. o. once daily on three consecutive days prior to IRI: linagliptin (1.5 mg.kg(-1).day(-1)), vildagliptin (8mg.kg(-1).day(-1)) and sitagliptin (30 mg.kg(-1).day(-1)). An additional group received sitagliptin until study end (before IRI: 30 mg.kg(-1).day(-1); after IRI: 15mg.kg(-1).day(-1)). KEY RESULTS Plasma-active glucagon-like peptide type 1 (GLP(-1)) increased threefold to fourfold in all DPP4 inhibitor groups 24 h after IRI. Plasma cystatin C, a marker of GFR, peaked 48 h after IRI. Compared with the placebo group, DPP4 inhibition did not reduce increased plasma cystatin C levels. DPP4 inhibitors ameliorated histopathologically assessed tubular damage with varying degrees of drug-specific efficacies. Renal osteopontin expression was uniformly reduced by all DPP4 inhibitors. IRI-related increased renal cytokine expression was not decreased by DPP4 inhibition. Renal DPP4 activity at study end was significantly inhibited in the linagliptin group, but only numerically reduced in the prolonged/dose-adjusted sitagliptin group. Active GLP(-1) plasma levels at study end were increased only in the prolonged/dose-adjusted sitagliptin treatment group. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS In rats with renal IRI, DPP4 inhibition did not alter plasma cystatin C, a marker of glomerular function, but may protect against tubular damage.
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.13822
SN  - 0007-1188
SN  - 1476-5381
VL  - 174
SP  - 2273
EP  - 2286
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Tsuprykov, Oleg
A1  - Ando, Ryotaro
A1  - Reichetzeder, Christoph
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Antonenko, Viktoriia
A1  - Sharkovska, Yuliya
A1  - Chaykovska, Lyubov
A1  - Rahnenfuehrer, Jan
A1  - Hasan, Ahmed Abdallah Abdalrahman Mohamed
A1  - Tammen, Harald
A1  - Alter, Markus L.
A1  - Klein, Thomas
A1  - Ueda, Seiji
A1  - Yamagishi, Sho-ichi
A1  - Okuda, Seiya
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - The dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitor linagliptin and the angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan show renal benefit by different pathways in rats with 5/6 nephrectomy
JF  - Kidney international : official journal of the International Society of Nephrology
N2  - Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors delay chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in experimental diabetic nephropathy in a glucose-independent manner. Here we compared the effects of the DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin versus telmisartan in preventing CKD progression in non-diabetic rats with 5/6 nephrectomy. Animals were allocated to 1 of 4 groups: sham operated plus placebo; 5/6 nephrectomy plus placebo; 5/6 nephrectomy plus linagliptin; and 5/6 nephrectomy plus telmisartan. Interstitial fibrosis was significantly decreased by 48% with linagliptin but a non-significant 24% with telmisartan versus placebo. The urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio was significantly decreased by 66% with linagliptin and 92% with telmisartan versus placebo. Blood pressure was significantly lowered by telmisartan, but it was not affected by linagliptin. As shown by mass spectrometry, the number of altered peptide signals for linagliptin in plasma was 552 and 320 in the kidney. For telmisartan, there were 108 peptide changes in plasma and 363 in the kidney versus placebo. Linagliptin up-regulated peptides derived from collagen type I, apolipoprotein C1, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2/B1, a potential downstream target of atrial natriuretic peptide, whereas telmisartan up-regulated angiotensin II. A second study was conducted to confirm these findings in 5/6 nephrectomy wild-type and genetically deficient DPP-4 rats treated with linagliptin or placebo. Linagliptin therapy in wild-type rats was as effective as DPP-4 genetic deficiency in terms of albuminuria reduction. Thus, linagliptin showed comparable efficacy to telmisartan in preventing CKD progression in non-diabetic rats with 5/6 nephrectomy. However, the underlying pathways seem to be different. Copyright (C) 2016, International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
KW  - albuminuria
KW  - angiotensin receptor blockers
KW  - chronic kidney disease
KW  - DPP-4 inhibition
KW  - proteinuria
KW  - proteomic analysis
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kint.2016.01.016
SN  - 0085-2538
SN  - 1523-1755
VL  - 89
SP  - 1049
EP  - 1061
PB  - Nature Publ. Group
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hecht, Eva
A1  - Freise, Christian
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Nasser, Hamoud
A1  - Kretzschmar, Nadja
A1  - Stawowy, Philipp
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
A1  - Querfeld, Uwe
T1  - The matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 initiate uraemic vascular calcifications
JF  - Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation
N2  - The matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) MMP-2 and MMP-9 are physiological regulators of vascular remodelling. Their dysregulation could contribute to vascular calcification. We examined the role of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 in uraemic vascular calcification in vivo and in vitro. The impact of pharmacological MMP inhibition on the development of media calcifications was explored in an aggressive animal model of uraemic calcification. In addition, the selective effects of addition and inhibition, respectively, of MMP-2 and MMP-9 on calcium-/phosphate-induced calcifications were studied in a murine cell line of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). High-dose calcitriol treatment of uraemic rats given a high phosphate diet induced massive calcifications, apoptosis and increased gene expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9 and of osteogenic transcription factors and proteins in aortic VSMC. The MMP inhibitor doxycycline prevented the VSMC transdifferentiation to osteoblastic cells, suppressed transcription of mediators of matrix remodelling and almost completely blocked aortic calcifications while further increasing apoptosis. Similarly, specific inhibitors of either MMP-2 or -9, or of both gelatinases (Ro28-2653) and a selective knockdown of MMP-2/-9 mRNA expression blocked calcification of murine VSMC induced by calcification medium (CM). In contrast to MMP inhibition, recombinant MMP-2 or MMP-9 enhanced CM-induced calcifications and the secretion of gelatinases. These data indicate that both gelatinases provide essential signals for phenotypic VSMC conversion, matrix remodelling and the initiation of vascular calcification. Their inhibition seems a promising strategy in the prevention of vascular calcifications.
KW  - chronic kidney disease
KW  - matrix metalloproteinases
KW  - vascular calcification
KW  - vascular smooth muscle cells
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfv321
SN  - 0931-0509
SN  - 1460-2385
VL  - 31
SP  - 789
EP  - 797
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Dschietzig, Thomas Bernd
A1  - Krause-Relle, Katharina
A1  - Hennequin, Maud
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Rahnenfuhrer, Jan
A1  - Ruppert, Jana
A1  - Groena, Hans Juergen
A1  - Armbruster, Franz Paul
A1  - Bathgate, Ross A. D.
A1  - Aschenbach, Joerg R.
A1  - Forssmann, Wolf-Georg
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Relaxin-2 does not Ameliorate Nephropathy in an experimental model of Type-1 Diabetes
JF  - Kidney & blood pressure research : official organ of the Gesellschaft für Nephrologie
N2  - Background/Aims: In diabetic nephropathy (DN), the current angiotensin-II-blocking pharmacotherapy is frequently failing. For diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC), there is no specific remedy available. Relaxin-2 (Rlx) - an anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and vasoprotecting peptide - is a candidate drug for both. Methods: Low-dose (32 mu g/kg/day) and high-dose (320 mu g/kg/day) Rlx were tested against vehicle (n = 20 each) and non-diabetic controls (n = 14) for 12 weeks in a model of type-1 diabetes induced in endothelial nitric oxide synthase knock-out (eNOS-KO) mice by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Results: Diabetic animals showed normal plasma creatinine, markedly increased albuminuria and urinary malonyldialdehyde, elevated relative kidney weight, glomerulosclerosis, and increased glomerular size, but no relevant interstitial fibrosis. Neither dose of Rlx affected these changes although the drug was active and targeted plasma levels were achieved. Of note, we found no activation of the renal TGF-beta pathway in this model. In the hearts of diabetic animals, no fibrotic alterations indicative of DC could be determined which precluded testing of the initial hypothesis. Conclusions: We investigated a model showing early DN without overt tubulo-interstitial fibrosis and activation of the TGF-beta-Smad-2/3 pathway. In this model, Rlx proved ineffective; however, the same may not apply to other models and types of diabetes.
KW  - Diabetic nephropathy
KW  - Diabetic cardiomyopathy
KW  - Fibrosis
KW  - Inflammation
KW  - Relaxin
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1159/000368484
SN  - 1420-4096
SN  - 1423-0143
VL  - 40
IS  - 1
SP  - 77
EP  - 88
PB  - Karger
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Chen, Yao
A1  - Wang, Guang
A1  - Wang, Xiao-yu
A1  - Ma, Zheng-lai
A1  - Chen, You-peng
A1  - Chuai, Manli
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
A1  - Yang, Xuesong
T1  - Effects of high salt-exposure on the development of retina and lens in 5.5-Day Chick Embryo
JF  - Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology
N2  - Background/Aims: Excess maternal salt intake during pregnancy may alter fetal development. However; our knowledge on how an increased salt intake during pregnancy influences fetal eye development is limited. In this study, we investigated the effects of high salt treatment on the developing eyes in chick embryos, especially focusing on the development of the retina and the lens. Methods: 5.5 day chick embryos were exposed to 280mosm/l (n=17), or 300mosm/l (n=16) NaCl. The treated embryos were then incubated for 96 hours before they were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for H&E staining, whole mount embryo immunostaining and TUNEL staining. BrdU and PH3 incorporation experiments were performed on the chick embryos after high salt treatment. RT-PCR analyses were conducted from chick retina tissues. Results: We demonstrated that high-salt treatment altered the size of eyes in chick embryos, induced malformation of the eyes and impaired the development of the lens and the retina. We found an impaired expression of Paired box 6 (PAX6) and neuronal cells in the developing retina as revealed by neurofilament immunofluorescent staining. There was a reduction in the number of BrdU-positive cells and PH3-positive cells in the retina, indicating an impaired cell proliferation with high salt treatment. High salt treatment also resulted in an increased number of TUNEL-positive cells in the retina, indicating a higher amount of cell death. RT-PCR data displayed that the expression of the pro-apoptotic molecule nerve growth factor (NGF) in chick retina was increased and CyclinD1 was reduced with high-salt treatment. The size of the lens was reduced and Pax6 expression in the lens was significantly inhibited. High salt treatment was detrimental to the migration of neural crest cells. Conclusion: Taken together; our study demonstrated that high salt exposure of 5.5 day chick embryos led to an impairment of retina and lens development, possibly through interfering with Pax6 expression.
KW  - Chick embryos
KW  - High osmolarity
KW  - Retina
KW  - Lens
KW  - Pax6
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1159/000363044
SN  - 1015-8987
SN  - 1421-9778
VL  - 34
IS  - 3
SP  - 804
EP  - 817
PB  - Karger
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Sharkovska, Yuliya
A1  - Kalk, Philipp
A1  - von Websky, Karoline
A1  - Relle, Katharina
A1  - Pfab, Thiemo
A1  - Alter, Markus L.
A1  - Fischer, Yvan
A1  - Hocher, Berthold
T1  - Renoprotective effects of combined endothelin-converting enzyme/neutral endopeptidase inhibitor SLV338 in acute and chronic experimental renal damage
JF  - Clinical laboratory : the peer reviewed journal for clinical laboratories and laboratories related to blood transfusion
N2  - Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) as well as chronic renal failure are associated with a huge mortality/morbidity. However, so far no drugs have been approved for the treatment of acute kidney failure and only a few for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We analysed the effect of SLV 338, a neutral endopeptidase (NEP)/endothelin converting enzyme (ECE)-inhibitor in animal models of acute kidney failure as well as chronic renal failure.
 Methods: Acute renal failure was induced in male Wistar rats by uninephrectomy and clamping of the remaining kidney for 55 minutes. SLV338 (total dose: 4.9 mg/kg) or vehicle was continuously infused for 2 hours (starting 20 minutes prior to clamping). Sham operated animals served as controls. Plasma creatinine was measured at baseline and day 2 and 8 after renal ischemia-reperfusion.
 Hypertensive renal damage was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by nitric oxide deficiency using L-NAME (50 mg/kg per day, added to drinking water for 4 weeks). One group was treated over the same time period with SLV338 (30 mg/kg per day, mixed with food). Systolic blood pressure was monitored weekly. At study end, urine and blood samples were collected and kidneys were harvested.
 Results: Acute renal ischemia-reperfusion caused a 5-fold plasma creatinine elevation (day 2), which was significantly attenuated by more than 50 % in animals treated with SLV338 (p < 0.05). Renal failure was accompanied by a 67 % mortality in vehicle-treated rats, but only 20 % after SLV338 treatment (p = 0.03 compared to sham controls).
 Chronic L-NAME administration caused hypertension, urinary albumin excretion, glomerulosclerosis, renal arterial remodelling, and renal interstitial fibrosis. Treatment with SLV338 did not significantly affect blood pressure, but abolished renal tissue damage (interstitial fibrosis, glomerulosclerosis, renal arterial remodelling (p < 0.05 versus L-NAME group in each case).
 Conclusions: The dual ECE/NEP inhibitor SLV338 preserves kidney function and reduces mortality in severe acute ischemic renal failure. Moreover, combined ECE/NEP inhibition prevents hypertensive renal tissue damage in a blood pressure independent manner in L-NAME-treated rats.
KW  - Renal failure
KW  - endothelin-converting enzyme
KW  - neutral endopeptidase
Y1  - 2011
SN  - 1433-6510
VL  - 57
IS  - 7-8
SP  - 507
EP  - 515
PB  - Clin Lab Publ., Verl. Klinisches Labor
CY  - Heidelberg
ER  -