Expression patterns of ClC-3 mRNA and protein in aortic smooth muscle, kidney and brain in diabetic rats

ClC-3, a member of the ClC family of voltage-gated chloride channels, regulates cell proliferation of cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells, pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and tumor cell migration. However, its role in diabetic animals is still unknown. To address this issue, we investigated the expression patterns of ClC-3 in diabetic rats. Five-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups, 50 non-diabetic control rats (non-DM) and 50 diabetic model rats (DM). ClC-3 mRNA and protein expression in aortic smooth muscle, kidney and brain tissues were examined by fluorimeter-based quantitive RT-PCR assay and Western blot analysis, respectively. ClC-3 mRNA and protein were endogenously expressed in aortic smooth muscle, kidney (cortex and medulla) and brain tissues of both control and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. ClC-3 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in aortic smooth muscle and brain tissues of diabetic rats, but significantly decreased in kidney medulla tissue, relative to non-DM controls. There were no significant differences in ClC-3 mRNA and protein expression in kidney cortex between non-diabetic control and diabetic rats. Furthermore, the altered ClC-3 expression patterns in diabetic rat aortic smooth muscle, brain, and kidney medulla tissues all correlated with the changes in blood glucose levels (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our data show for the first time that diabetes alters both the gene and protein expression of ClC-3 channels. These changes may contribute to the impaired vascular, brain and kidney functions observed in diabetes.