Journal of Diagnostics Concepts & Practice ›› 2017, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (04): 371-376.doi: 10.16150/j.1671-2870.2017.04.006

• Original article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Soluble Klotho attenuates high glucose-induced renal fibrosis through inhibiting STAT3 pathway

LI Huilin, WU Ping, LIU Shuang, JIANG Gengru   

  1. Department of Nephrology, Xinhua Hospital,. Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
  • Received:2017-06-28 Online:2017-08-25 Published:2017-08-25

Abstract: Objective: To observe the effect of Klotho on high glucose-activated phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and expression of fibrosis related gene in renal tubular epithelial cells under high glucose. Methods: Human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK2) were cultured and incubated with high glucose (HG, D-glucose 30 mmol/L), normal glucose (NG, D-glucose 5 mmol/L), high mannitol (HM, D-glucose 5 mmol/L and mannitol 25 mmol/L), and Klotho or HO3867 in the presence of high glucose. STAT3 activation and expression of target genes were assayed by Western blot or real time fluorescence quantitative PCR(rt-fqPCR). Results: Compared with NG or HM, a significant decrease of endogenous Klotho gene level was detected after HG treatment(P<0.01). Western blot analysis revealed that the level of STAT3 phosphorylation was significantly increased after HG treatment compared with NG or HM(P<0.01). The activation of STAT3 induced by high glucose was markedly reduced by Klotho or HO3867 treatment(P<0.01). The level of mRNA expression of fibrosis related gene(α-SMA, Col4A1, FN) was significantly increased after high glucose treatment in HK-2 cells (P<0.01), while was markedly inhibited by Klotho treatment(P<0.01). HO3867, the inhibitor of STAT3, partially decreased the mRNA levels of above mentioned genes (P<0.01). Conclusions: Soluble Klotho could attenuate high glucose-induced renal fibrosis, which might be achieved partially through inhibition of STAT3 pathway.

Key words: Diabetic nephropathy, Soluble Klotho protein, Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), Renal fibrosis

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