Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha is involved in the attenuation of experimentally induced rat glomerulonephritis

Among various kidney disease models, there are few rat glomerulonephritis (GN) models that develop in a short time, and with mainly glomerular lesions. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha is a transcriptional factor that induces genes supporting cell survival, but the involvement of HIF-1alpha in attenuating the progression of GN remains to be elucidated. We developed a new model of rat GN by coadministration of angiotensin II (AII) with Habu snake venom (HV) and investigated whether HIF-1alpha is involved in renal protection.

Male Wistar rats were unilaterally nephrectomized on day 1, and divided into 4 groups on day 0; N group (no treatment), HV group, A group (AII), and H+A group (HV and AII). To preinduce HIF-1alpha, cobalt chloride (CoCl2) was injected twice before injections of HV and AII in 11 rats.

GN was detected only in the H+A group; observed first on day 2 and aggravated thereafter. HIF-1alpha was expressed in the glomeruli and renal tubules in the A and H+A groups. In the H+A group, GN was remarkably reduced by CoCl2 pretreatment (44.9 to 12.2%, p < 0.01).

Both HV and AII were critical for the development of GN, and HIF-1alpha remarkably attenuated the progression of GN.