Browsing by Author "Velarde, Victoria"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    Angiotensin II-Induced Mesangial Cell Damage Is Preceded by Cell Membrane Permeabilization Due to Upregulation of Non-Selective Channels
    (2018) Gomez, Gonzalo, I; Fernandez, Paola; Velarde, Victoria; Sáez, Juan Carlos
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    Boldine Prevents Renal Alterations in Diabetic Rats
    (2013) Hernandez-Salinas, Romina; Vielma, Alejandra Z.; Arismendi, Marlene N.; Boric, Mauricio P.; Saez, Juan C.; Velarde, Victoria
    Diabetic nephropathy alters both structure and function of the kidney. These alterations are associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species, matrix proteins, and proinflammatory molecules. Inflammation decreases gap junctional communication and increases hemichannel activity leading to increased membrane permeability and altering tissue homeostasis. Since current treatments for diabetic nephropathy do not prevent renal damage, we postulated an alternative treatment with boldine, an alkaloid obtained from boldo with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic effects. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic and control rats were treated or not treated with boldine (50 mg/Kg/day) for ten weeks. In addition, mesangial cells were cultured under control conditions or in high glucose concentration plus proinflammatory cytokines, with or without boldine (100 mu mol/L). Boldine treatment in diabetic animals prevented the increase in glycemia, blood pressure, renal thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and the urinary protein/creatinine ratio. Boldine also reduced alterations in matrix proteins and markers of renal damage. In mesangial cells, boldine prevented the increase in oxidative stress, the decrease in gap junctional communication, and the increase in cell permeability due to connexin hemichannel activity induced by high glucose and proinflammatory cytokines but did not block gap junction channels. Thus boldine prevented both renal and cellular alterations and could be useful for preventing tissue damage in diabetic subjects.
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    Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Vascular Dysfunction in Rats is Reverted by N-Acetylcysteine Supplementation and Arginase Inhibition
    (2018) Krause, Bernardo J.; Casanello Toledo, Paola Cecilia; Dias, Ana C.; Arias, Paulina; Velarde, Victoria; Arenas Menéndez, German Alberto; Preite, Marcelo Daniel; Iturriaga Agüera, Rodrigo
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    Connexin 43 Hemichannel Activity Promoted by Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines and High Glucose Alters Endothelial Cell Function
    (2018) Sáez, Juan Carlos; Contreras-Duarte, Susana; Gomez, Gonzalo I.; Labra, Valeria C.; Santibanez, Cristian A.; Gajardo Gómez, Rosario; Avendano, Beatriz C.; Diaz, Esteban F.; Montero, Trinidad D.; Velarde, Victoria; Orellana Roca, Juan Andrés
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    Cyclooxygenase-2 and hypoxia-regulated proteins are modulated by basic fibroblast growth factor in acute renal failure
    (SOC BIOLGIA CHILE, 2012) Villanueva, Sandra; Escobar, Pia; Jacubovsky, Ioram; Irarrazabal, Carlos; Carreno, Juan E.; Erpel, Jose M.; Cespedes, Carlos; Gonzalez, Alexis A.; Vio, Carlos P.; Velarde, Victoria
    Acute renal failure (ARF) can be caused by injuries that induce tissue hypoxia, which in turn can trigger adaptive or inflammatory responses. We previously showed the participation of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) in renal repair. Based on this, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of FGF-2 signaling pathway manipulation at hypoxia-induced protein levels, as well as in key proteins from the vasoactive systems of the kidney. We injected rat kidneys with FGF-2 recombinant protein (r-FGF) or FGF-2 receptor antisense oligonucleotide (FGFR2-ASO) after bilateral ischemia, and evaluated the presence of iNOS, EPO and HO-1, in representation of hypoxia-induced proteins, as well as COX-2, renin, kallikrein, and B2KR, in representation of the vasoactive systems of the kidney. A reduction in iNOS, HO-1, EPO, renin, kallikrein, B2KR, and in renal damage was observed in animals treated with r-FGF. The opposite effect was found with FGF-2 receptor down-regulation. In contrast, COX-2 protein levels were higher in kidneys treated with r-FGF and lower in those that received FGFR2-ASO, as compared to saline treated kidneys. These results suggest that the protective role of FGF-2 in the pathogenesis of ARF induced by I/R is a complex process, through which a differential regulation of metabolic pathways takes place.
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    EPAC expression and function in cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts
    (2013) Olmedo, Ivonne; Muñoz, Claudia; Guzmán, Nancy; Catalán, Mabel; Vivar, Raúl; Ayala, Pedro; Humeres, Claudio; Aránguiz, Pablo; García, Lorena; Velarde, Victoria; Díaz Araya, Guillermo
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    Role of a RhoA/ROCK-Dependent Pathway on Renal Connexin43 Regulation in the Angiotensin II-Induced Renal Damage
    (2019) Gomez, Gonzalo I.; Velarde, Victoria; Saez, Juan C.
    In various models of chronic kidney disease, the amount and localization of Cx43 in the nephron is known to increase, but the intracellular pathways that regulate these changes have not been identified. Therefore, we proposed that: "In the model of renal damage induced by infusion of angiotensin II (AngII), a RhoA/ROCK-dependent pathway, is activated and regulates the abundance of renal Cx43". In rats, we evaluated: 1) the time-point where the renal damage induced by AngII is no longer reversible; and 2) the involvement of a RhoA/ROCK-dependent pathway and its relationship with the amount of Cx43 in this irreversible stage. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and renal function (urinary protein/urinary creatinine: Uprot/UCrea) were evaluated as systemic and organ outcomes, respectively. In kidney tissue, we also evaluated: 1) oxidative stress (amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive species), 2) inflammation (immunoperoxidase detection of the inflammatory markers ED-1 and IL-1 beta), 3) fibrosis (immune detection of type III collagen; Col III) and 4) activity of RhoA/ROCK (amount of phosphorylated MYPT1; p-MYPT1). The ratio Uprot/UCrea, SBP, oxidative stress, inflammation, amount of Cx43 and p-MYPT1 remained high 2 weeks after suspending AngII treatment in rats treated for 4 weeks with AngII. These responses were not observed in rats treated with AngII for less than 4 weeks, in which all measurements returned spontaneously close to the control values after suspending AngII treatment. Rats treated with AngII for 6 weeks and co-treated for the last 4 weeks with Fasudil, an inhibitor of ROCK, showed high SBP but did not present renal damage or increased amount of renal Cx43. Therefore, renal damage induced by AngII correlates with the activation of RhoA/ROCK and the increase in Cx43 amounts and can be prevented by inhibitors of this pathway.
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    Skeletal Muscle Atrophy Induced by Diabetes Is Mediated by Non-Selective Channels and Prevented by Boldine
    (2023) Cea, Luis A.; Vasquez, Walter; Hernandez-Salinas, Romina; Vielma, Alejandra Z.; Castillo-Ruiz, Mario; Velarde, Victoria; Salgado, Magdiel; Saez, Juan C.
    Individuals with diabetes mellitus present a skeletal muscle myopathy characterized by atrophy. However, the mechanism underlying this muscular alteration remains elusive, which makes it difficult to design a rational treatment that could avoid the negative consequences in muscles due to diabetes. In the present work, the atrophy of skeletal myofibers from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was prevented with boldine, suggesting that non-selective channels inhibited by this alkaloid are involved in this process, as has previously shown for other muscular pathologies. Accordingly, we found a relevant increase in sarcolemma permeability of skeletal myofibers of diabetic animals in vivo and in vitro due to de novo expression of functional connexin hemichannels (Cx HCs) containing connexins (Cxs) 39, 43, and 45. These cells also expressed P2X(7) receptors, and their inhibition in vitro drastically reduced sarcolemma permeability, suggesting their participation in the activation of Cx HCs. Notably, sarcolemma permeability of skeletal myofibers was prevented by boldine treatment that blocks Cx43 and Cx45 HCs, and now we demonstrated that it also blocks P2X(7) receptors. In addition, the skeletal muscle alterations described above were not observed in diabetic mice with myofibers deficient in Cx43/Cx45 expression. Moreover, murine myofibers cultured for 24 h in high glucose presented a drastic increase in sarcolemma permeability and levels of NLRP3, a molecular member of the inflammasome, a response that was also prevented by boldine, suggesting that, in addition to the systemic inflammatory response found in diabetes, high glucose can promote the expression of functional Cx HCs and activation of the inflammasome in skeletal myofibers. Therefore, Cx43 and Cx45 HCs play a critical role in myofiber degeneration, and boldine could be considered a potential therapeutic agent to treat muscular complications due to diabetes.
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