HSP27 is involved in the pathogenesis of kidney tubulointerstitial fibrosis

We hypothesized that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), a small heat shock protein with actin-remodeling properties, is involved in the pathogenesis of kidney tubulointerstitial fibrosis. We first examined its expression in the rat unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model of kidney fibrosis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Immunoblot analyses showed that UUO resulted in significant upregulation of TGF-beta1, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), total and phosphorylated HSP27, and phosphorylated p38MAPK. Immunofluorescence studies showed that HSP27 costained with TGF-beta1, alpha-SMA, and E-cadherin in areas of tubulointerstitial injury. We next attempted to translate these studies in an in vitro model of EMT using rat proximal tubular epithelial cells (NRK52E). TGF-beta1 (20 ng/ml) treatment resulted in EMT (upregulation of alpha-SMA and downregulation of E-cadherin) and significant upregulation of total and phosphorylated HSP27 and p38MAPK after 3 days. Real-time PCR analyses showed that HSP27, vimentin, and fibronectin increased whereas E-cadherin mRNA levels decreased. Double-staining immunofluorescence studies showed intracytoplasmic colocalization of HSP27 with both F-actin and E-cadherin in cells undergoing EMT. HSP27 overexpression by transient transfection significantly increased E-cadherin while decreasing E-cadherin repressor Snail levels. In aggregate, these studies show that HSP27 is involved in the pathogenesis of TGF-beta1-induced EMT and chronic tubulointerstitial fibrosis. HSP27 overexpression may delay injury by upregulating E-cadherin through downregulation of Snail.