Screening and identification of the differential proteins in kidney with complete unilateral ureteral obstruction

Obstructive nephropathy is a major cause of renal failure, particularly in infants and children, and indications for therapeutic intervention remain highly controversial. There is a great need for the development of new methods to monitor patients, and the biomarker research field is a promising approach for this purpose to be used as prognostic tools for early disease detection and the choice of the optimal treatment and monitoring. Here, we presented our comparative proteomics study of rat kidney with complete unilateral ureteral obstruction (CUUO). Proteins from the groups of CUUO and corresponding sham rat kidney tissues were subjected to 2-D gel electrophoresis, and then protein identification by mass spectrometry. We identified 39 proteins with differential expression between kidney tissues from sham operated group and those with CUUO. These identified proteins were reported to be involved in cell apoptosis, energy metabolism and injuries of mitochondrion and oxidative stress, and so on. We confirmed 3 identified proteins by immunoblot analysis and immunofluorescence staining and assessed their mRNA levels in renal tissues. Our results demonstrate protein alterations that reflect the pathological situation of the obstructed kidneys, which may help understand the relationship between oxidative stress and obstructive nephropathy.