Effect Of Aldosterone On The Expression Of Connective Tissue Growth Factor In Cultured Rat Mesangial Cells

Objective To study whether aldosterone promotes the synthesis of connective tissue growth factor through a TGF-β₁ pathwayMethods Rat glomerular mesangial cells were incubated with Aldosterone (10^-7mol/l) for 0h/6h/ 12h/ 18h / 24h. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemitry were used to evaluate the expression of connective tissue growth factor mRNA and protein, and TGF-β₁ protein expression was assessed by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent after 24h. spironolactone(10^-8mol/l), a receptor inhibitor of aldosterone and Staurosporine (5nmol/ml), a Serine/Theronine kinase inhibitor of TGF-β₁/Smads signaling, were used to evaluate aldosterone-induced expression of CTGF and TGF-β₁ respectly.Result The level of CTGFmRNA and protein were both significantly increased after exposing to aldosterone(10^-7mol/L)for 6h, peaking at 12h and declining after 18h. Expression of TGF- β₁ protein was also significant -ly increased after aldosterone stimulation for 24h. However, Aldosterone could not stimulate the expression of CTGF in the presence of spironolact -one (10^-8mol/L) or Staurosporine(5nmol/ml) for 1h in advance .Conclusion Aldosterone upregulates the expression of CTGF by mesangial cell, In which TGF-β₁ signaling may be involved.