Gene expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF receptor in glomerulonephritis

在单次静脉注射抗胸腺细胞血清诱导的系膜增生性肾小球肾炎大鼠模型中，我们观察了血小板衍生生长因子(PDGF)或其受体(PDGF-R)基因表达是否上调。Northern印迹分析显示，发病后3天和5天，肾小球RNA中PDGF-B链和PDGF-Rβ亚基均显著增加，与系膜细胞增殖的时间相对应。补体耗竭和血小板耗竭均显著降低肾小球细胞增殖及PDGF和PDGF-R的基因表达。因此，PDGF及其受体的表达上调可能在系膜增生性肾小球肾炎的发病机制中起重要作用。免疫组织化学显示20周龄mrl/L小鼠肾小球和新月体中有PDGFB链，与肾小球细胞增殖和新月体形成的时间相对应。提示PDGF B链在狼疮性肾炎的发病机制中起重要作用。

We investigated whether gene expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), or its receptor (PDGF-R) was upregulated in a rat model of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis induced with a single intravenous injection of anti-thymocyte serum. A marked increase in both PDGF B-chain and PDGF-R beta-Subunit was demonstrated in glomerular RNA by Northern blot analysis 3 and 5 days after disease induction, corresponding to the time of mesangial cell proliferation. Both complement depletion and platelet depletion significantly reduced glomerular cell proliferation and gene expression of PDGF and PDGF-R. Thus, it is suggested that the upregulation of PDGF and PDGF-R expression may play an important role in the pathogenesis of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis.We also investigated the localization of PDGF B-chain in the glomeruli of murine lupus nephritis. Immunohistochemistry revealed PDGF B-chain in Glomeruli and crescents from MRL/l mice at 20 weeks of age, corresponding to the time of glomerular cell proliferation and crescent formation. These results suggest that PDGF B-chain plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis.