Diabetic nephropathy is currently the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the western world. A mouse model for diabetic nephropathy that encompasses the salient features of this disease in the kidney is not available. Here, we report that CD1 mice, in contrast to inbred C57BL/6 and 129Sv strains, develop ESRD associated with prominent tubulointerstitial nephritis and fibrosis...

Advanced-glycation end products (AGEs) were recently implicated in vascular calcification, through a process mediated by RAGE (receptor for AGEs). Although a correlation between AGEs levels and vascular calcification was established, there is no evidence that reducing in vivo AGEs deposition or inhibiting AGEs-RAGE signaling pathways can decrease medial calcification. We evaluated the impact of...

PURPOSE Lipid oxidation has been proposed to be a factor in the pathophysiology of glaucoma. We investigated whether elevated levels of isolevuglandin (iso[4]LGE(2)) protein adducts are associated with astrocytes derived from the glaucomatous optic nerve head. In addition, we examined whether the iso[4]LGE(2) protein adducts are altered following exposure of astrocytes to elevated pressure. M...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Vitamin B(6) plays a pivotal role in brain development and functioning. Differences in vitamin B(6) homeostasis between preterm and term newborn infants have been reported. The authors sought to investigate whether B(6) vitamers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of preterm and term newborn infants are different. METHODS B(6) vitamer concentrations were determined in 69 CSF...

Pyridoxine (PN) is a metabolic precursor of pyridoxal phosphate that functions as a cofactor of many enzymes in amino acid metabolism. PN, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine are collectively referred to as vitamin B6, and mammalian organisms depend on its uptake from the diet. In addition to the ability to use extracellular vitamin B6, most unicellular organisms are also capable of synthesizing PN to ...

The level of mRNA for cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (cAST) in the liver of vitamin B6-deficient rats was found to be 7-fold higher than that of the control rats. The administration of hydrocortisone to adrenalectomized vitamin B6-deficient rats induced expression of hepatic cAST mRNA and the induction was suppressed by the simultaneous administration of pyridoxine. Since the 5' regulator...