Hexosamine induction of oxidative stress, hypertrophy and laminin expression in renal mesangial cells: effect of the anti‐oxidant α‐lipoic acid

We have previously shown that one of the potential mediators of the deleterious effects of high glucose on extracellular matrix protein (ECM) expression in renal mesangial cells is its metabolic flux through the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP). Here, we investigate further whether the hexosamines induce oxidative stress, cell-cycle arrest and ECM expression using SV-40-transformed rat mesangial (MES) cells and whether the anti-oxidant α-lipoic acid will reverse some of these effects. Culturing renal MES cells with high glucose (HG, 25 mM) or glucosamine (GlcN, 1.5 mM) for 48 h stimulates laminin γ1 subunit expression significantly ∼1.5 ± 0.2- and 1.9 ± 0.3-fold, respectively, when compared to low glucose (LG, 5 mM). Similarly, HG and GlcN increase the level of G0/G1 cell-cycle progression factor cyclin D1 significantly ∼1.7 ± 0.2- and 1.4 ± 0.04-fold, respectively, versus LG (p < 0.01 for both). Azaserine, an inhibitor of glutamine:fruc-6-PO4 amidotransferase (GFAT) in the HBP, blocks the HG-induced expression of laminin γ1 and cyclin D1, but not GlcN's effect because it exerts its metabolic function distal to GFAT. HG and GlcN also elevate reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, pro-apoptotic caspase-3 activity, and lead to mesangial cell death as revealed by TUNEL and Live/Dead assays. FACS analysis of cell-cycle progression shows that the cells are arrested at G1 phase; however, they undergo cell growth and hypertrophy as the RNA/DNA ratio is significantly (p < 0.05) increased in HG or GlcN-treated cells relative to LG. The anti-oxidant α-lipoic acid (150 µM) reverses ROS generation and mesangial cell death induced by HG and GlcN. Alpha-lipoic acid also reduces HG and GlcN-induced laminin γ1 and cyclin D1 expression in MES cells. In addition, induction of diabetes in rats by streptozotocin (STZ) increases both laminin γ1 and cyclin D1 expression in the renal cortex and treatment of the diabetic rats with α-lipoic acid (400 mg kg−1 body weight) reduces the level of both proteins significantly (p < 0.05) when compared to untreated diabetic rats. These results support the hypothesis that the hexosamine pathway mediates mesangial cell oxidative stress, ECM expression and apoptosis. Anti-oxidant α-lipoic acid reverses the effects of high glucose, hexosamine and diabetes on oxidative stress and ECM expression in mesangial cells and rat kidney. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.