Journal of nephrology
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Journal of nephrology · Apr 2014
Suppressive effects of iron overloading on vascular calcification in uremic rats.
Medial vascular calcification is a specific complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients although its pathogenesis is poorly understood. The administration of iron (Fe), generally used for the treatment of anemia in CKD patients, induces oxidative stress. Fe loading possibly affects the progress of vascular calcification in uremia. We investigated the effect of Fe on vascular calcification and its mechanism in uremic rats. ⋯ Fe suppressed the development of vascular calcification through the prevention of Pit-1 and vascular smooth muscle cell osteoblastic transdifferentiation.