Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney Cells
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent among older cats. The transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) pathway is associated with renal fibrosis. TGF-β1 signaling through the non-canonical/smad-independent pathway activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, which is linked to fi...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Chanyanuch Intachat Phongsakorn Chuammitri Benjaporn Sornpet Prapas Patchanee Nawin Manachai Kakanang Piyarungsri |
| author_facet | Chanyanuch Intachat Phongsakorn Chuammitri Benjaporn Sornpet Prapas Patchanee Nawin Manachai Kakanang Piyarungsri |
| author_sort | Chanyanuch Intachat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent among older cats. The transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) pathway is associated with renal fibrosis. TGF-β1 signaling through the non-canonical/smad-independent pathway activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, which is linked to fibrosis and apoptosis. The MAPK pathway regulates the Bcl-2 protein family, which is known for its anti-apoptosis properties. This study aimed to quantify the mRNA expression of the <i>TGFβ</i>, <i>MAPK</i>, and <i>Bcl2</i> genes and the protein expression of TGF-β1 and MAPK in feline kidney cells and tissue. A gene expression analysis was conducted using qPCR to calculate the relative gene expression, while the protein expression was assessed through Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry staining of TGF-β1 and MAPK was performed on feline kidney tissue. The results revealed the significant upregulation of <i>TGFβ</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and considerable downregulation of <i>Bcl2</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.010) in doxorubicin-treated feline kidney cells. The immunostaining levels of TGF-β1 and MAPK were higher in the kidney tissue of cats with CKD than in non-CKD cats. However, there was no difference in <i>TGFβ</i>, <i>MAPK</i>, or <i>Bcl2</i> gene expression in CKD vs. non-CKD cats. The findings suggest that TGF-β1 and Bcl-2 are associated with renal fibrosis and apoptosis in feline kidney cells. A deeper understanding of the TGF-β1 pathway could enable veterinarians to monitor disease progression and mitigate complications in feline CKD. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ff119d1c05db4895b7d1e60833b54f48 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-ff119d1c05db4895b7d1e60833b54f482025-01-24T13:18:19ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-01-0115225710.3390/ani15020257Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney CellsChanyanuch Intachat0Phongsakorn Chuammitri1Benjaporn Sornpet2Prapas Patchanee3Nawin Manachai4Kakanang Piyarungsri5Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandCenter of Veterinary Medical Diagnostic and Animal Health Innovation, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, ThailandChronic kidney disease (CKD) is prevalent among older cats. The transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) pathway is associated with renal fibrosis. TGF-β1 signaling through the non-canonical/smad-independent pathway activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, which is linked to fibrosis and apoptosis. The MAPK pathway regulates the Bcl-2 protein family, which is known for its anti-apoptosis properties. This study aimed to quantify the mRNA expression of the <i>TGFβ</i>, <i>MAPK</i>, and <i>Bcl2</i> genes and the protein expression of TGF-β1 and MAPK in feline kidney cells and tissue. A gene expression analysis was conducted using qPCR to calculate the relative gene expression, while the protein expression was assessed through Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry staining of TGF-β1 and MAPK was performed on feline kidney tissue. The results revealed the significant upregulation of <i>TGFβ</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and considerable downregulation of <i>Bcl2</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.010) in doxorubicin-treated feline kidney cells. The immunostaining levels of TGF-β1 and MAPK were higher in the kidney tissue of cats with CKD than in non-CKD cats. However, there was no difference in <i>TGFβ</i>, <i>MAPK</i>, or <i>Bcl2</i> gene expression in CKD vs. non-CKD cats. The findings suggest that TGF-β1 and Bcl-2 are associated with renal fibrosis and apoptosis in feline kidney cells. A deeper understanding of the TGF-β1 pathway could enable veterinarians to monitor disease progression and mitigate complications in feline CKD.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/257Bcl-2catchronic kidney diseasemitogen-activated protein kinasetransforming growth factor-β1 |
| spellingShingle | Chanyanuch Intachat Phongsakorn Chuammitri Benjaporn Sornpet Prapas Patchanee Nawin Manachai Kakanang Piyarungsri Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney Cells Animals Bcl-2 cat chronic kidney disease mitogen-activated protein kinase transforming growth factor-β1 |
| title | Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney Cells |
| title_full | Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney Cells |
| title_fullStr | Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney Cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney Cells |
| title_short | Unraveling TGF-β1’s Role in Mediating Fibrosis and Cell Death in Feline Kidney Cells |
| title_sort | unraveling tgf β1 s role in mediating fibrosis and cell death in feline kidney cells |
| topic | Bcl-2 cat chronic kidney disease mitogen-activated protein kinase transforming growth factor-β1 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/257 |
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