RGD-containing peptides trigger apoptosis in glomerular mesangial cells of adult human kidneys.

Substantial evidence was given that different Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing peptides, linear Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) and cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp-Phe (RGDF), which are sequences present in fibronectin and vitronectin and which can bind alpha5beta1 and alpha(v)beta3 integrins, respectively, both induced apoptosis and expression of interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE) in cultured glomerular mesangial cells from adult human kidneys, with consistent apoptosis features appearing as nuclei condensation and fragmentation, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and DNA content decrease. These results indicated that both fibronectin and vitronectin may be important in the survival of human glomerular mesangial cells and that stable cyclic RGD(D)FV peptide may be a candidate to be used for regulating apoptosis in vivo.