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Effect of Calcitriol on the Renal Microvasculature Differentiation Disturbances Induced by AT1 Blockade During

Amanda L Deluque1, Lucas F de Almeida1, Heloísa D C Francescato1

  • 1Laboratory of Renal Physiology, Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Frontiers in Medicine
|March 3, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Early life exposure to angiotensin II receptor blockers can harm kidney development. However, calcitriol treatment can mitigate these negative effects, preserving renal structure and function into adulthood.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Fetal programming can lead to lasting renal structure and function issues.
  • Calcitriol influences nephrogenesis, including endothelial cell maintenance.
  • The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is crucial for kidney development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate calcitriol's protective effects against losartan-induced renal changes.
  • To assess the impact of AT1 receptor blockade during lactation on adult renal differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Rats were exposed to losartan (an AT1 receptor antagonist) during lactation.
  • Calcitriol was administered to assess its mitigating effects.
  • Renal structure, function, and microvasculature differentiation were evaluated in adulthood.

Main Results:

  • Losartan exposure caused persistent adult renal disorders, including hydronephrosis, papillary atrophy, and endothelial dysfunction.
  • Calcitriol treatment significantly mitigated these losartan-induced renal alterations.
  • AT1 blockade during lactation led to altered adult renal microvasculature differentiation, which calcitriol attenuated.

Conclusions:

  • Early life AT1 receptor blockade disrupts renal microvasculature development.
  • Calcitriol administration can protect against these developmental disruptions.
  • Calcitriol shows potential as a therapeutic agent to prevent long-term renal damage from RAS interference during development.
Keywords:
calcitriolcell differentiationkidney developmentrenal microvasculaturerenin-angiotensin system

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