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Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Evaluation of MicroRNA Expression in Kidney and Serum of Mice with Age-Dependent Renal Impairment
Published on: April 29, 2022
Age-associated molecular changes in the kidney in aged mice
Ji Hee Lim1, Eun Nim Kim, Min Young Kim
1Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-040, Republic of Korea.
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
|January 18, 2013
Summary
Kidney aging in mice shows increased albuminuria and fibrosis. Declines in Sirt1 and Klotho expression correlate with oxidative stress, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for age-related kidney decline.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nephrology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Aging is a complex process leading to physiological decline, with reduced kidney function linked to cardiovascular disease and mortality.
- Understanding kidney aging is crucial for preventing adverse outcomes in older populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the anatomic, physiologic, and pathologic changes associated with kidney aging in a mouse model.
- To explore the role of oxidative stress and specific protein expression in kidney aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized male C57/BL6 mice at 2, 12, and 24 months of age.
- Assessed kidney histology, oxidative stress markers (isoprostane), apoptosis (TUNEL assay), and expression of aging-related proteins (Sirt1, PGC-1α, Klotho, SOD1, SOD2, ERR-1α, PPARα).
Main Results:
- Older mice (24 months) exhibited increased albuminuria, mesangial volume, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and apoptosis.
- Aging correlated with increased urine isoprostane excretion and decreased expression of SOD1, SOD2, Sirt1, PGC-1α, ERR-1α, PPARα, and Klotho.
- Creatinine clearance showed a non-significant decrease with age.
Conclusions:
- Aging kidneys show increased oxidative stress, potentially mediated by decreased Sirt1, PGC-1α/ERR-1α, and PPARα signaling.
- Reduced Klotho expression is associated with kidney aging and oxidative stress.
- Targeting these molecular pathways may offer therapeutic strategies to mitigate age-related kidney pathology.
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