Expressional regulation and pathophyisiiological role of a novel iron-binding protein, Ngal, in the kidney

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We have found that Ngal expression is induced in thick ascending limbs of Henle and livers during murine renal ischemia-reperfusion injury and unilateral ligation, and that newly synthesized Ngal protein circulates in the blood stream, filtered in glomeruli, reabsorbed by proximal tubules and accumulates in the endocytic vesicles (Kuwabata, Mori, et. al. submitted: Schmidt-Ott, Mori, et. al. J Am Soc Nephrol 2007). We also showed that urinary Ngal levels do decrease in nephrotic syndrome and diabetic nephropathy by treatments with steroids and angiotensin receptor blockers, suggesting that urinary Ngal is useful for the monitoring of disease activity and treatment efficacy in chronic kidney diseases (Kuwabara, Mori, et. Al. submitted).We reported in earlier works that Ngal : siderophore ; Fe complex has activities of kidney differentiation, kidney protection and mesenchymal-epithelial transition of cancer (Schmidt-Ott, Mori, et. al. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 2006). Recently we have elucidated that Ngal : siderophore complex (without Fe) acts as an iron chelator and induces morphological changes and apoptosis of activated microglia (Lee, Mori, et. al. J Immunol 2007).