Progenitor Renin Lineage Cells are not involved in the regeneration of glomerular endothelial cells during experimental renal thrombotic microangiopathy

PLoS One. 2018 May 17;13(5):e0196752. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196752. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Endothelial cells (EC) frequently undergo primary or secondary injury during kidney disease such as thrombotic microangiopathy or glomerulonephritis. Renin Lineage Cells (RLCs) serve as a progenitor cell niche after glomerular damage in the adult kidney. However, it is not clear whether RLCs also contribute to endothelial replenishment in the glomerulus following endothelial injury. Therefore, we investigated the role of RLCs as a potential progenitor niche for glomerular endothelial regeneration. We used an inducible tet-on triple-transgenic reporter strain mRen-rtTAm2/LC1/LacZ to pulse-label the renin-producing RLCs in adult mice. Unilateral kidney EC damage (EC model) was induced by renal artery perfusion with concanavalin/anti-concanavalin. In this model glomerular EC injury and depletion developed within 1 day while regeneration occurred after 7 days. LacZ-labelled RLCs were restricted to the juxtaglomerular compartment of the afferent arterioles at baseline conditions. In contrast, during the regenerative phase of the EC model (day 7) a subset of LacZ-tagged RLCs migrated to the glomerular tuft. Intraglomerular RLCs did not express renin anymore and did not stain for glomerular endothelial or podocyte cell markers, but for the mesangial cell markers α8-integrin and PDGFRβ. Accordingly, we found pronounced mesangial cell damage parallel to the endothelial injury induced by the EC model. These results demonstrated that in our EC model RLCs are not involved in endothelial regeneration. Rather, recruitment of RLCs seems to be specific for the repair of the concomitantly damaged mesangium.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / physiology
  • Cell Lineage / physiology*
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Endothelial Cells / physiology
  • Glomerular Mesangium / metabolism
  • Glomerular Mesangium / physiology
  • Glomerulonephritis / metabolism
  • Glomerulonephritis / physiopathology
  • Integrin alpha Chains / metabolism
  • Kidney Glomerulus / metabolism
  • Kidney Glomerulus / physiology*
  • Mesangial Cells / metabolism
  • Mesangial Cells / physiology
  • Mice
  • Podocytes / metabolism
  • Podocytes / physiology
  • Regeneration / physiology*
  • Renin / metabolism*
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Thrombotic Microangiopathies / metabolism
  • Thrombotic Microangiopathies / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Integrin alpha Chains
  • integrin alpha8
  • Renin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (www.dfg.de) Grants GE 2845/1-1 (to F.G.); HO 2522/6-1 (to B.H.); SFB 699/B1, TO 679/1-1, TO 679/2-1 (to V.T.T.) and HU 600/6-1, HU 600/8-1 (to C.H.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.