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Title: Failure to phosphorylate AKT in podocytes from mice with early diabetic nephropathy promotes cell death. Author: Tejada T, Catanuto P, Ijaz A, Santos JV, Xia X, Sanchez P, Sanabria N, Lenz O, Elliot SJ, Fornoni A. Journal: Kidney Int; 2008 Jun; 73(12):1385-93. PubMed ID: 18385666. Abstract: Loss of podocytes by apoptosis characterizes the early stages of diabetic nephropathy. To examine its mechanism we studied glomeruli and podocytes isolated from db/db mice with early diabetic nephropathy and albuminuria. Phosphorylation of AKT (protein kinase B, a key survival protein) was found to be lower in the glomeruli of 12 week old db/db compared to db/+ mice. In vitro, insulin phosphorylated AKT solely in podocytes from db/+ mice. Serum deprivation and exposure to tumor necrosis factor-alpha significantly compromised cell viability in podocytes from db/db but not from db/+ mice, and this was associated with a significant decrease in AKT phosphorylation. Inhibition of AKT was necessary to achieve the same degree of cell death in db/+ podocytes. Our study shows that podocyte inability to respond to insulin and susceptibility to cell death may partially account for the decreased podocyte number seen in early diabetic nephropathy.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]