Chonnam Med J.  2012 Dec;48(3):150-154. 10.4068/cmj.2012.48.3.150.

Activation of the Renal PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in a DOCA-Salt Model of Hypertension

• Ma SK
• Choi JS
• Joo SY
• Kim HY
• Kim CS
• Bae EH
• Lee JU
• Kim SW

• KMID: 2048803
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4068/cmj.2012.48.3.150

Abstract

The present study investigated the changes that occurred in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in the kidney as a result of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension. Rats were implanted with DOCA strips (200 mg/kg) 1 week after unilateral nephrectomy and were then supplied with 0.9% saline to drink. Four weeks after DOCA implantation, systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured by use of the tail-cuff method. The expression levels of phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and mTOR, as well as the protein expression levels of ED-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA), caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2, were then examined in the kidney by semiquantitative immunoblotting. DOCA-salt hypertensive rats were found to have significantly increased SBP as well as an increased kidney weight-to-body weight ratio. Moreover, the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR was increased in the kidney of DOCA-salt hypertensive rats compared with the control, as was the protein expression of ED-1, COX-2, TGF-beta1, and alpha-SMA. The expression levels of caspase-3 and Bax were increased significantly, whereas Bcl-2 expression was decreased. In conclusion, the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR was increased in the kidney of DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.

Keyword

Deoxycorticosterone; Hypertension; Kidney

MeSH Terms

Actins
Animals
Blood Pressure
Caspase 3
Cyclooxygenase 2
Desoxycorticosterone
Hypertension
Immunoblotting
Kidney
Muscles
Nephrectomy
Phosphorylation
Rats
Sirolimus
Transforming Growth Factor beta1
Actins
Caspase 3
Cyclooxygenase 2
Desoxycorticosterone
Sirolimus
Transforming Growth Factor beta1