Renoprotective effect of renal liver-type fatty acid binding protein and angiotensin II type 1a receptor loss in renal injury caused by RAS activation.

The aim of this study was to assess the renoprotective effect of renal human liver-type fatty acid binding protein (hL-FABP) and angiotensin II (ANG II) type 1A receptor (AT1a) loss in renal injury caused by renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activation. We established hL-FABP chromosomal transgenic mice (L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/+)), crossed the L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/+) with AT1a knockdown homo mice (L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(-/-)), and generated L-FABP(+/-)AT1a hetero mice (L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/-)). After the back-cross of these cubs, L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(-/-) were obtained. To activate the renal RAS, wild-type mice (L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(+/+)), L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/+), L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(+/-), L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/-), L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(-/-), and L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(-/-) were administered high-dose systemic ANG II infusion plus a high-salt diet for 28 days. In the L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(+/+), RAS activation (L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(+/+)RAS) caused hypertension and tubulointerstitial damage. In the L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/+)RAS, tubulointerstitial damage was significantly attenuated compared with L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(+/+)RAS. In the AT1a partial knockout (AT1a(+/-)) or complete knockout (AT1a(-/-)) mice, reduction of AT1a expression led to a significantly lower degree of renal injury compared with L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(+/+)RAS or L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/+)RAS mice. Renal injury in L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(+/-)RAS mice was significantly attenuated compared with L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(+/-)RAS mice. In both L-FABP(-/-)AT1a(-/-)RAS and L-FABP(+/-)AT1a(-/-)RAS mice, renal damage was rarely found. The degrees of renal hL-FABP expression and urinary hL-FABP levels increased by RAS activation and gradually decreased along with reduction of AT1a expression levels. In conclusion, in this mouse model, renal hL-FABP expression and a decrease in AT1a expression attenuated tubulointerstitial damage due to RAS activation.