Role of glomerular proteinases in the evolution of glomerulosclerosis

Recent studies suggest that proteolytic enzymes located within the glomerulus are involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix components. In the present investigation glomerular proteinase activities were followed in a variety of non-immune-mediated renal diseases as well as during different dietary manipulations. Azocaseinolysis was significantly reduced in the obese Zucker rat compared with lean littermates (pH 5.4:8.9 +/- 0.4 vs 11.4 +/- 0.7; pH 7.4:5.8 +/- 0.7 vs 9.3 +/- 0.6 arb. U/mg protein). When the glomerular proteolytic capacity was measured in old rats, again a significant decline in proteolysis was observed (pH 5.4:9.8 +/- 0.8 vs 17.7 +/- 0.8; pH 7.4:6.4 +/- 0.7 vs 11.7 +/- 0.5 arb. U/mg protein). In Goldblatt hypertensive rats the unclipped kidney, which is exposed to high blood pressure, revealed lower glomerular azocaseinolytic activity compared with the contralateral clipped kidney (pH 5.4:8.1 +/- 0.4 vs 12.9 +/- 0.5 arb. U/mg protein). In parallel, the cathepsin B content was also diminished in glomeruli from kidneys exposed to hypertension. When proteinases were followed in glomeruli from intact kidneys of rats fed protein-modified diets (fraction of casein 0.05, 0.20 or 0.60) a significant fall in the activities of cysteine proteinases, e.g. cathepsin B (casein 0.05:1,498 +/- 110 vs casein 0.60:914 +/- 84 microU/micrograms DNA), as well as metalloproteinases, e.g. collagenase (casein 0.05:233 +/- 14 vs casein 0.60:137 +/- 11 microU/micrograms DNA), occurred. These data indicate that in both early and late stages of glomerulosclerosis, proteolytic activities within the glomerulus tend to be reduced, which could allow extracellular matrix accumulation. Moreover, changes in dietary protein intake resulted in profound alterations of glomerular proteinases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)