Publication Date
2015-06-08
Availability
Open access
Embargo Period
2015-06-09
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)
Department
Cell Biology and Anatomy (Medicine)
Date of Defense
2015-05-15
First Committee Member
Christian H. Faul
Second Committee Member
Pedro Salas
Third Committee Member
Barry Hudson
Fourth Committee Member
Alessia Fornoni
Abstract
Aberrant elevation in cytoplasmic calcium levels in podocytes cause changes in podocyte morphology and glomerular permeability. The phosphatase calcineurin responds to elevated calcium by dephosphorylating the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT). We have shown that podocyte-specific activation of NFAT in transgenic mice causes rapid proteinuria. Transgenic mice with the podocyte-specific, doxycyclin (Dox)-inducible expression of constitutively active NFAT (NFATc1nuc) were fed Dox chow, and urine albumin levels were monitored. Mice were sacrificed at different time points for histological studies of the kidney, including H&E, TEM analysis of the podocyte foot process (FP) structure and WT1 labeling to determine podocyte numbers. Dox was removed at 2 months to study a potential reversibility of the phenotype. NFATc1nuc mice are proteinuric within four days of Dox exposure with podocyte FP effacement. NFATc1nuc induction for two months causes sustained proteinuria with an increase in FP effacement, but without other histological changes within the kidney. Animals on Dox treatment for 10 months develop glomerular sclerosis, extraglomerular lesions and impaired renal function. Proteinuria in mice with short-term NFATc1nuc activation in podocytes is reversible, whereas mice with NFATc1nuc expression for two months are unable to revert to normal podocyte morphology and kidney function. Podocyte-specific NFAT activation in mice causes a two-phase renal phenotype. First reversible MCD-like alterations, followed irreversible FSGS-like changes. These changes happen in the setting of progressive podocyte loss. This phenotypic switch from a MCD-to an FSGS-like phenotype may also occur in concert with changes in the responsiveness to pharmacological interventions.
Keywords
NFAT; FSGS; Minimal Change Disease; Chronic Kidney Disease; podocyte
Recommended Citation
Sloan, Alexis J., "The Role of Nuclear Factor of Activated T-Cells in Chronic Kidney Disease" (2015). Open Access Dissertations. 1443.
https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/1443