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Norcantharidin, a protective therapeutic agent in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis

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Abstract

Progressive renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis is a common final pathway of nearly all forms of chronic kidney disease. Many efforts have been done to arrest or prevent renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis but with little progress. Nowadays, few therapeutic agents are available in clinical use. Norcantharidin (NCTD) is of great benefit in anticancer treatment, by inducing cell apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, in addition, blocking tumor metastasis and angiogenesis in cancer, whereas little attention is given to its relationship with other diseases. Our recent studies demonstrated that NCTD was protective against renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis both in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanisms may include modulation of TGF-β1/Smad signal cascade, inhibition of protein serine/threonine phosphatases (PPP) as well as NF-κB. NCTD may be a promising therapeutic agent for renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. In the present article, we will review the action of NCTD in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and discuss its possible mechanisms.

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Abbreviations

NCTD:

Norcantharidin

PPP:

Protein serine/threonine phosphatases

ACEI:

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

ARB:

Angiotensin receptor blockers

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

CTGF:

Connective tissue growth factor

MCP-1:

Monocyte chemoattractant protein

EMT:

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition

FN:

Fibronectin

Col IV:

Collagen IV

SBEs:

Smad-binding elements

CaN:

Calcineurin

CaN/NFATc:

Nuclear factor of activated T cells

STZ:

Streptozotocin

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81100486), the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, China (Grant No.10JJ2011), the specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20070533062), and the scientific project of Research Center of Metabolic Syndrome in Central South University of China (Grant No. DY-2008-02-03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Ying Li, Yan Ge, Fu You Liu, You Ming Peng, Lin Sun, Jun Li, Qiong Chen, Yan Sun & Kun Ye

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  1. Ying Li
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  2. Yan Ge
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  3. Fu You Liu
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  4. You Ming Peng
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  5. Lin Sun
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  6. Jun Li
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  8. Yan Sun
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Correspondence to Ying Li or Fu You Liu.

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Ying Li and Yan Ge contributed equally to this work.

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Li, Y., Ge, Y., Liu, F.Y. et al. Norcantharidin, a protective therapeutic agent in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Mol Cell Biochem 361, 79–83 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-011-1091-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-011-1091-z

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