Transforming growth factor-beta expression in macrophages during hypercholesterolemic states.

Macrophage infiltration into the glomerular mesangium is a prominent feature of various glomerulopathies. Recent evidence suggests that infiltrating macrophages may play a role in propagating initial glomerular injury to the development of glomerulosclerosis via transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-stimulating matrix accumulation. Rats with the acute puromycin aminonucleoside (PA) nephrosis exhibit an elevated gene expression of glomerular TGF-beta 1; however, the cellular origin of this upregulation is unknown. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we detected that the TGF-beta 1 isoform is expressed in glomerular macrophages isolated from experimental rats made hypercholesterolemic by either diet or by induction of PA nephrosis. Peritoneal macrophages from nephrotic or dietary-hypercholesterolemic animals also exhibited a significant increment in the expression of TGF-beta 1 mRNA on Northern analysis, in contrast to similar cells obtained from normal control rats. PCR analysis of glomerular RNA also detected the expression of the TGF-beta 2 mRNA isoform. TGF-beta 2 mRNA expression was not observed in isolated glomerular macrophages from either glomeruli of PA-nephrotic rats or from glomeruli of animals with dietary hypercholesterolemia. Expression of the TGF-beta 3 mRNA isoform was only observed by PCR in J774 A.1 cells. Thus the as a cellular source for the enhanced expression of TGF-beta 1 during the acute nephrotic phase of our toxic, progressive glomerulopathy model and within several days of inducing only hypercholesterolemia by dietary means.