松弛素与肾脏纤维化的研究进展

Recent Progress of Relaxin and Renal Fibrosis

肾脏纤维化是各种肾脏疾病进展到慢性肾衰竭的共同途径和主要病理基础。而松弛素(RLX)具有抗纤维化功能。细胞外基质的合成与降解平衡失调在肾脏纤维化过程中起着重要作用,RLX可通过介导Smad细胞间信号,如抑制前纤维化因子、成纤维细胞分化和胶原产生,以及增强由基质金属蛋白酶诱导的胶原降解等通路来发挥抗肾脏纤维化作用。RLX还具有改善血流动力学的作用,从而起到肾保护作用。RLX基因治疗肾脏纤维化具有广阔前景,但目前离临床应用还有一定距离。

Renal fibrosis is the final common pathway to all progressive renal disease. And relaxin has been demonstrated the antifibrotic actions in experimental models of renal disease. In renal fibrosis, damage depends on the disproportionate accumulation and degradation of extracellular matrix（ECM）. The effects of relaxin were mediated to a large extent by the Smad pathway. Relaxin is able to induce its effects via common and organspecific mechanisms, primarily involving the inhibition of the influence of profibrotic factors, fibroblast differentiation and collagen production in addition to an increase in matrix matalloproteinase induced collagen degradation. Relaxin may also induce its hemodynamic effects in the renal systems. Relaxin may be useful in the treatment of renal fibrosis. But definitive answers will only be obtained by careful clinical investigations.