01-06-2007 | Original Article
Immunohistochemical study on caveolin-1α in regenerating process of tubular cells in gentamicin-induced acute tubular injury in rats
Published in: Virchows Archiv | Issue 6/2007
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Caveolin-1, a principal component of caveolae, modulates growth signaling, endocytosis, and intracellular transport. We examined the expression of caveolin-1α and its relation to cell cycle and caveolin-interacting growth factor receptors in regenerating proximal tubules (PTs) after gentamicin-induced acute renal failure in rats. Caveolin-1α appeared in regenerating PTs as early as day 4 after last gentamicin, peaked at days 6 to 8, and showed cytoplasmic pattern after day 8. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed caveolin-1α-positive caveolae on the cell membrane and in cytoplasms in regenerating PTs at days 4 to 8 and caveolin-positivity confined to cytoplasms after day 10. The number of PT cells with proliferation markers peaked at day 6 and decreased afterwards as expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors increased. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFR-β) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were colocalized with caveolin-1α in proliferating PTs as early as day 4. Phosphorylated EGFR increased at day 8 and afterwards when caveolins dissociated from EGFR or decreased. In case of PDGFR-β, phosphorylation seemed to be associated with the increase and association of caveolins to the receptors. Our results suggest that transient expression of caveolin-1α in early regenerating PTs might contribute to the regenerating process of PTs through modulating growth factor receptors.