scholarly journals Emerging Technologies to Study the Glomerular Filtration Barrier

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Gong ◽  
Laura Perin ◽  
Stefano Da Sacco ◽  
Sargis Sedrakyan
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Glomerular Filtration Barrier ◽  
Glomerular Function ◽  
Filtration Barrier ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing ◽  
Kidney Organoids

Kidney disease is characterized by loss of glomerular function with clinical manifestation of proteinuria. Identifying the cellular and molecular changes that lead to loss of protein in the urine is challenging due to the complexity of the filtration barrier, constituted by podocytes, glomerular endothelial cells, and glomerular basement membrane. In this review, we will discuss how technologies like single cell RNA sequencing and bioinformatics-based spatial transcriptomics, as well as in vitro systems like kidney organoids and the glomerulus-on-a-chip, have contributed to our understanding of glomerular pathophysiology. Knowledge gained from these studies will contribute toward the development of personalized therapeutic approaches for patients affected by proteinuric diseases.

Glomerular Endothelium and its Impact on Glomerular Filtration Barrier in Diabetes: Are the Gaps Still Illusive?

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (13) ◽  
pp. 1525-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Fomusi Ndisang
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Glomerular Filtration ◽  
Glomerular Basement Membrane ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Kidney Dysfunction ◽  
Glomerular Filtration Barrier ◽  
Filtration Barrier ◽  
Glomerular Endothelial Cells ◽  
Fenestrated Endothelium

Background: Glomerular capillaries are lined with highly specialized fenestrated endothelium which are primarily responsible to regulate high flux filtration of fluid and small solutes. During filtration, plasma passes through the fenestrated endothelium and basement membrane before it reaches the slit diaphragm, a specialized type of intercellular junction that connects neighbouring podocytes. Methods: A PubMed search was done for recent articles on components of the glomerular filtration barrier such as glomerular endothelial cells, podocytes and glomerular basement membrane, and the effect of diabetes on these structures. Results and Conclusion: Generally, the onset of kidney dysfunction in many diabetic patients is characterized by albuminuria/proteinuria, a pathophysiological event triggered by several factors including; (i) endothelial activation and shading of glycocalyx, (ii) loss of endothelial cell function, (ii) re-uptake of albumin by podocyte through a scavenger receptors and (iv) rearrangement of podocyte cytoskeleton. Howeover, as podocyte effacement does not always lead to proteinuria, the dynamic interplay between all constituents of the glomerular filtration barrier including podocytes, endothelial cells and the basement membrane may be fundamental for the effective filtration in healthy individuals. Thus, a putative cross-talk amongst podocytes, endothelial cells and the basement membrane in the homeostasis of glomerular function is envisaged. Although, the exact nature of this cross-talk remains to be clearly elucidated, it is possible that the interaction between: (i) glomerular endothelial cells and podocytes, (ii) glomerular endothelial cells and glomerular basement membrane, (iii) podocytes and glomerular basement membrane, and (iv) the simultaneous interaction amongst the three components collectively underpin effective filtration in healthy individuals. A comprehensive understanding of these different interactions still remains elusive. The elucidation of these multifaceted interactions will set the stage for greater understanding of the pathophysiology of kidney dysfunction.

scholarly journals Glomerular Endothelial Cell Crosstalk With Podocytes in Diabetic Kidney Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nassim Mahtal ◽  
Olivia Lenoir ◽  
Pierre-Louis Tharaux
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Diabetic Kidney Disease ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Glomerular Injury ◽  
Diabetic Kidney ◽  
Filtration Barrier ◽  
Plasma Filtration

Diabetes is the main cause of renal failure worldwide. Complications of the kidney micro-and macro-circulation are common in diabetic patients, leading to proteinuria and can progress to end-stage renal disease. Across the complex interplays aggravating diabetes kidney disease progression, lesions of the glomerular filtration barrier appear crucial. Among its components, glomerular endothelial cells are known to be central safeguards of plasma filtration. An array of evidence has recently pinpointed its intricate relations with podocytes, highly specialized pericytes surrounding glomerular capillaries. During diabetic nephropathy, endothelial cells and podocytes are stressed and damaged. Besides, each can communicate with the other, directly affecting the progression of glomerular injury. Here, we review recent studies showing how in vitro and in vivo studies help to understand pathological endothelial cells-podocytes crosstalk in diabetic kidney disease.

scholarly journals Glomerular permeability is not affected by heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan deficiency in zebrafish embryos

2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (5) ◽  
pp. F1211-F1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramzi Khalil ◽  
Reshma A. Lalai ◽  
Malgorzata I. Wiweger ◽  
Cristina M. Avramut ◽  
Abraham J. Koster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Heparan Sulfate ◽  
Glomerular Filtration ◽  
Glomerular Basement Membrane ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Tubular Reabsorption ◽  
Glomerular Filtration Barrier ◽  
Glomerular Permeability ◽  
Tracer Injection ◽  
Filtration Barrier

Proteinuria develops when specific components in the glomerular filtration barrier have impaired function. Although the precise components involved in maintaining this barrier have not been fully identified, heparan sulfate proteoglycans are believed to play an essential role in maintaining glomerular filtration. Although in situ studies have shown that a loss of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans increases the permeability of the glomerular filtration barrier, recent studies using experimental models have shown that podocyte-specific deletion of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan assembly does not lead to proteinuria. However, tubular reabsorption of leaked proteins might have masked an increase in glomerular permeability in these models. Furthermore, not only podocytes but also glomerular endothelial cells are involved in heparan sulfate synthesis in the glomerular filtration barrier. Therefore, we investigated the effect of a global heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan deficiency on glomerular permeability. We used a zebrafish embryo model carrying a homozygous germline mutation in the ext2 gene. Glomerular permeability was assessed with a quantitative dextran tracer injection method. In this model, we accounted for tubular reabsorption. Loss of anionic sites in the glomerular basement membrane was measured using polyethyleneimine staining. Although mutant animals had significantly fewer negatively charged areas in the glomerular basement membrane, glomerular permeability was unaffected. Moreover, heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan-deficient embryos had morphologically intact podocyte foot processes. Glomerular filtration remains fully functional despite a global reduction of heparan sulfate.

scholarly journals Progress in Pathogenesis of Proteinuria

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aihua Zhang ◽  
Songming Huang
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Glomerular Filtration ◽  
Transient Receptor Potential ◽  
Receptor Potential ◽  
Renal Diseases ◽  
Barrier Dysfunction ◽  
Glomerular Filtration Barrier ◽  
Glomerular Proteinuria ◽  
Filtration Barrier ◽  
Glomerular Endothelial Cells

Aims. Proteinuria not only is a sign of kidney damage, but also is involved in the progression of renal diseases as an independent pathologic factor. Clinically, glomerular proteinuria is most commonly observed, which relates to structural and functional anomalies in the glomerular filtration barrier. The aim of this paper was to describe the pathogenesis of glomerular proteinuria.Data Sources. Articles on glomerular proteinuria retrieved from Pubmed and MEDLINE in the recent 5 years were reviewed.Results. The new understanding of the roles of glomerular endothelial cells and the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) in the pathogenesis of glomerular proteinuria was gained. The close relationships of slit diaphragm (SD) molecules such as nephrin, podocin, CD2-associated protein (CD2AP), a-actinin-4, transient receptor potential cation channel 6 (TRPC6), Densin and membrane-associated guanylate kinase inverted 1 (MAGI-1),α3β1 integrin, WT1, phospholipase C epsilon-1 (PLCE1), Lmx1b, and MYH9, and mitochondrial disorders and circulating factors in the pathogenesis of glomerular proteinuria were also gradually discovered.Conclusion. Renal proteinuria is a manifestation of glomerular filtration barrier dysfunction. Not only glomerular endothelial cells and GBM, but also the glomerular podocytes and their SDs play an important role in the pathogenesis of glomerular proteinuria.

scholarly journals Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Renal Endothelium Heterogeneity and Metabolic Adaptation to Water Deprivation

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien J. Dumas ◽  
Elda Meta ◽  
Mila Borri ◽  
Jermaine Goveia ◽  
Katerina Rohlenova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Oxidative Phosphorylation ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Water Deprivation ◽  
Metabolic Adaptation ◽  
Single Cell Rna Sequencing

BackgroundRenal endothelial cells from glomerular, cortical, and medullary kidney compartments are exposed to different microenvironmental conditions and support specific kidney processes. However, the heterogeneous phenotypes of these cells remain incompletely inventoried. Osmotic homeostasis is vitally important for regulating cell volume and function, and in mammals, osmotic equilibrium is regulated through the countercurrent system in the renal medulla, where water exchange through endothelium occurs against an osmotic pressure gradient. Dehydration exposes medullary renal endothelial cells to extreme hyperosmolarity, and how these cells adapt to and survive in this hypertonic milieu is unknown.MethodsWe inventoried renal endothelial cell heterogeneity by single-cell RNA sequencing >40,000 mouse renal endothelial cells, and studied transcriptome changes during osmotic adaptation upon water deprivation. We validated our findings by immunostaining and functionally by targeting oxidative phosphorylation in a hyperosmolarity model in vitro and in dehydrated mice in vivo.ResultsWe identified 24 renal endothelial cell phenotypes (of which eight were novel), highlighting extensive heterogeneity of these cells between and within the cortex, glomeruli, and medulla. In response to dehydration and hypertonicity, medullary renal endothelial cells upregulated the expression of genes involved in the hypoxia response, glycolysis, and—surprisingly—oxidative phosphorylation. Endothelial cells increased oxygen consumption when exposed to hyperosmolarity, whereas blocking oxidative phosphorylation compromised endothelial cell viability during hyperosmotic stress and impaired urine concentration during dehydration.ConclusionsThis study provides a high-resolution atlas of the renal endothelium and highlights extensive renal endothelial cell phenotypic heterogeneity, as well as a previously unrecognized role of oxidative phosphorylation in the metabolic adaptation of medullary renal endothelial cells to water deprivation.

scholarly journals Perturbations in the fibrinolytic pathway abolish cyst formation but not capillary-like organization of cultured murine endothelial cells

Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 83 (11) ◽  
pp. 3206-3217 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Dubois-Stringfellow ◽  
A Jonczyk ◽  
VL Bautch
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Primary Cultures ◽  
Cyst Formation ◽  
Fibrin Gels

Abstract Fibrinolytic activity and its relation to morphogenesis was investigated in several transformed murine endothelial cell lines and primary cultures of endothelial cells. Two in vitro systems, fibrin gels and Matrigel (Collaborative Research, Bedford, MA), were used. Fibrin gels model a fibrin-rich extracellular matrix that frequently supports neovascularization in vivo, and Matrigel models the basement membrane surrounding quiescent endothelial cells in vivo. The transformed endothelial cell lines have higher levels of plasminogen activator (PA) mRNA than primary cultures of endothelial cells, and an increased PA-mediated proteolytic activity was correlated with formation of cysts in fibrin gels. Addition of neutralizing anti- urokinase antibodies, plasminogen depletion, or addition of a plasmin inhibitor prevented cyst formation. Addition of plasminogen restored the ability to form cysts in the plasminogen-depleted system. Normal endothelial cells organized into capillary-like structures in fibrin gels regardless of manipulations affecting the fibrinolytic pathway. In Matrigel, both transformed and primary cultures of endothelial cells rapidly formed a capillary-like network that was not affected by plasminogen depletion or addition of plasmin inhibitors. Thus, elements of the fibrinolytic pathway necessary for cyst formation are not critical in capillary-like structure formation on a reconstituted basement membrane. These results suggest that plasmin is essential for hemangioma formation but is not critical to the organizational behavior of normal endothelial cells.

scholarly journals Tensin2 is important for podocyte-glomerular basement membrane interaction and integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier

2020 ◽  
Vol 318 (6) ◽  
pp. F1520-F1530
Author(s):  
Kozue Uchio-Yamada ◽  
Keiko Yasuda ◽  
Yoko Monobe ◽  
Ken-ichi Akagi ◽  
Osamu Suzuki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Glomerular Filtration ◽  
Glomerular Basement Membrane ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Glomerular Filtration Barrier ◽  
Filtration Barrier ◽  
Gbm Thickening ◽  
Strain Dependent ◽  
Deficient Mice

Tensin2 (Tns2), an integrin-linked protein, is enriched in podocytes within the glomerulus. Previous studies have revealed that Tns2-deficient mice exhibit defects of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) soon after birth in a strain-dependent manner. However, the mechanisms for the onset of defects caused by Tns2 deficiency remains unidentified. Here, we aimed to determine the role of Tns2 using newborn Tns2-deficient mice and murine primary podocytes. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that developing glomeruli during postnatal nephrogenesis exhibited abnormal GBM processing due to ectopic laminin-α2 accumulation followed by GBM thickening. In addition, analysis of primary podocytes revealed that Tns2 deficiency led to impaired podocyte-GBM interaction and massive expression of laminin-α2 in podocytes. Our study suggests that weakened podocyte-GBM interaction due to Tns2 deficiency causes increased mechanical stress on podocytes by continuous daily filtration after birth, resulting in stressed podocytes ectopically producing laminin-α2, which interrupts GBM processing. We conclude that Tns2 plays important roles in the podocyte-GBM interaction and maintenance of the glomerular filtration barrier.

scholarly journals Capillary endothelial cell cultures: phenotypic modulation by matrix components.

1983 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Madri ◽  
S K Williams
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Membrane Surface ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Aortic Endothelial Cells ◽  
Capillary Endothelial Cells ◽  
Endothelial Cell Cultures ◽  
Cell Densities

Capillary endothelial cells of rat epididymal fat pad were isolated and cultured in media conditioned by bovine aortic endothelial cells and substrata consisting of interstitial or basement membrane collagens. When these cells were grown on interstitial collagens they underwent proliferation, formed a continuous cell layer and, if cultured for long periods of time, formed occasional tubelike structures. In contrast, when these cells were grown on basement membrane collagens, they did not proliferate but did aggregate and form tubelike structures at early culture times. In addition, cells grown on basement membrane substrata expressed more basement membrane constituents as compared with cells grown on interstitial matrices when assayed by immunoperoxidase methods and quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent inhibition assays. Furthermore, when cells were grown on either side of washed, acellular amnionic membranes their phenotypes were markedly different. On the basement membrane surface they adhered, spread, and formed tubelike structures but did not migrate through the basement membrane. In contrast, when seeded on the stromal surface, these cells were observed to proliferate and migrate into the stromal aspect of the amnion and ultimately formed tubelike structures at high cell densities at longer culture periods (21 d). Thus, connective tissue components play important roles in regulating the phenotypic expression of capillary endothelial cells in vitro, and similar roles of the collagenous components of the extracellular matrix may exist in vivo following injury and during angiogenesis. Furthermore, the culture systems outlined here may be of use in the further study of differentiated, organized capillary endothelial cells in culture.

scholarly journals Cell Migration in the Immune System: the Evolving Inter-Related Roles of Adhesion Molecules and Proteinases

2000 ◽  
Vol 7 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 103-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Madri ◽  
Donnasue Graesser
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Matrix Metalloproteinases ◽  
Basement Membrane ◽  
Leukocyte Adhesion ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Adhesion Receptors ◽  
Extracellular Matrix Components ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Tissue Site

Leukocyte extravasation into perivascular tissue during inflammation and lymphocyte homing to lymphoid organs involve transient adhesion to the vessel endothelium, followed by transmigration through the endothelial cell (EC) layer and establishment of residency at the tissue site for a period of time. In these processes, leukocytes undergo multiple attachments to, and detachments from, the vessel-lining endothelial cells, prior to transendothelial cell migration. Transmigrating leukocytes must traverse a subendothelial basement membrane en route to perivascular tissues and utilize enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases to make selective clips in the extracellular matrix components of the basement membrane. This review will focus on the evidence for a link between adhesion of leukocytes to endothelial cells, the induction of matrix metalloproteinases mediated by engagement of adhesion receptors on leukocytes, and the ability to utilize these matrix metalloproteinases to facilitate leukocyte invasion of tissues. Leukocytes with invasive phenotypes express high levels of MMPs, and expression of MMPs enhances the migratory and invasive properties of these cells. Furthermore, MMPs may be used by lymphocytes to proteolytically cleave molecules such as adhesion receptors and membrane bound cytokines, increasing their efficiency in the immune response. Engagement of leukocyte adhesion receptors may modulate adhesive (modulation of integrin affinities and expression), synthetic (proteinase induction and activation), and surface organization (clustering of proteolyric complexes) behaviors of invasive leukocytes. Elucidation of these pathways will lead to better understanding of controlling mechanisms in order to develop rational therapeutic approaches in the areas of inflammation and autoimmunity.

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