The Effect Of Emodin On The Human Kidney Tubular Epithelial Cells To Mesenchymal Transdifferentiation Induced By Human Albumin

Objective:To explore the effect of emodin on the transdifferentiation of human kidney tubular epithelial cells to mesenchymal induced by human albumin, and the TGF-(31/Smads signal path is whether involved in the process of renal protection.Methods:Human kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells line (HK-2) were cultivated in this study. HK-2 cells were divided into blank control group,emodin control group, albumin-induce group and emodin-inhibited group. Each group cells were cultivated for 0,12,24 and 48 hours. Morphological changes of the HK-2 cells were observed by an inverted phase contrast microscope. The expressions of a-SMA, E-cadherin, TGF-β1, Smad2, FN mRNA were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results:After albumin(5mg/ml) induced HK-2 cells for 0-48 hours,Morphological changes of the HK-2 cells were observed under the light microscope,cells body gradually become longer and thiner,the intercellular space become larger.The expression of a-SMA,TGF-β1,Smad2,FN mRNA in HK-2 cells were gradually increased, E-cadherin mRNA was decreased,There were significant differences to the blank control group(p< 0.01).The HK-2 cells'morphological changes become smaller than albumin-induce group after using a certain concertration emodin(20μg/ml),and the expression of a-SMA,TGF-β1,Smad2,FN and E-cadherin mRNA have similarity but much weaker than the albumin-induce group(p<0.01).Conclusions:The human kidney tubular epithelial cells cultured in vitro have transdifferentiation to mesenchymal induced by a certain concertration human albumin with detected the expressions of a-SMA, TGF-β1, Smad2, FN mRNA were gradually increased, E-cadherin mRNA was decreased. The concertration of 20μg/ml emodin repressed the effect of albumin on them in a time-dependent manner, delayed the progress of renal fibrosis. TGF-β1/Smad signal path is involved in the process of emodin's renal protection by inhibiting the transdifferentiation of renal tubular epithelial cell to mesenchymal induced by human albumin.