Heat shock protein 70/nitric oxide effect on stretched tubular epithelial cells linked to WT-1 cytoprotection during neonatal obstructive nephropathy

Background Mechanical stress is a key pathogenic driver of apoptosis in the tubular epithelium in obstructive nephropathy. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and Wilms’ tumor (WT-1) have been proposed to represent linked downstream effectors of the cytoprotective properties of NO. In the present study, we sought to evaluate whether the cytoprotective effects of l -arginine in neonatal obstructive nephropathy may be associated with NO-dependent increases in WT-1 and Hsp70 expression. Methods Neonatal Wistar–Kyoto rats were submitted to complete unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and treated thereafter with vehicle, L-NAME or l -arginine by daily gavage for 14 days to block or augment NO levels, respectively. Normal rat kidney epithelial cells by NRK-52E were exposed to mechanical stress in vitro in the presence or absence of L-NAME, l -arginine, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), l -arginine + SNP or l -arginine/L-NAME. Induction of apoptosis and the mRNA expression of WT-1 and Hsp70 genes were assessed. Results WT-1 and Hsp70 genes expression decreased in the presence of L-NAME and following UUO coincident with increased tubular apoptosis. l -arginine treatment increased NO levels, reduced apoptosis and restored expression levels of WT-1 and Hsp70 to control levels. l -arginine treatment in vitro reduced basal apoptotic rates and prevented apoptosis in response to mechanical strain, an effect enhanced by SNP co-incubation. L-NAME increased apoptosis and prevented the anti-apoptotic action of l -arginine. Conclusions l -arginine treatment in experimental neonatal UUO reduces apoptosis coincident with restoration of WT-1 and Hsp70 expression levels and directly inhibits mechanical strain-induced apoptosis in an NO-dependent manner in vitro . This potentially implicates an NO-Hsp70-WT-1 axis in the cytoprotective effects of l -arginine.