Telmisartan Attenuates the Growth of Epithelium-like Cells and Glomerular Injury in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

The abnormal growth of epithelium-like cells has been noticed in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs)with hypertensive nephropathy.However,the characteristics of abnormal epithelium-like cells and their pathogenesis in hypertensive nephropathy are not fully understood.In the present study,we investigated the correlation of epithelium-like cells with glomerular injury,and the effects of early drug intervention with telmisartan,an anti-hypertensive drug,on the growth of epithelium-like cells.The results showed that the epithelium-like cells were obviously observed lining along the luminal surface of Bowman’s capsule in glomeruli,significantly resulting in the atrophy of the glomerular tuft.Some of the epithelium-like cells strongly expressed proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)and vimentin,indicating active cellular proliferation.The incidence of epithelium-like cells varied from 13.6%to 54.4%of glomeruli in 48-week-old SHRs,and from 5.1%to 18.0%of glomeruli in age-matched Wistar-Kyoto(WKY)rats(P<0.01).The linear regression analysis further confirmed an obvious correlation between the incidence of epithelium-like cells and the glomerular injury.Moreover,early intervention with telmisartan could dramatically attenuate the progression of epithelium-like cells growth.However,no significant effect of telmisartan on the established epithelium-like cells was observed.Taken together,we demonstrated the involvement of abnormal epithelium-like cells growth in glomerular injury during hypertensive nephropathy in SHRs,and firstly showed the positive effects of the anti-hypertensive drug on the progression of epithelium-like cells growth.