American journal of physiology. Renal physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. · Dec 2018
Periostin overexpression in collecting ducts accelerates renal cyst growth and fibrosis in polycystic kidney disease.
In polycystic kidney disease (PKD), persistent activation of cell proliferation and matrix production contributes to cyst growth and fibrosis, leading to progressive deterioration of renal function. Previously, we showed that periostin, a matricellular protein involved in tissue repair, is overexpressed by cystic epithelial cells of PKD kidneys. Periostin binds αVβ3-integrins and activates integrin-linked kinase (ILK), leading to Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-mediated proliferation of human PKD cells. ⋯ These pathological changes were accompanied by increased renal expression of vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, and type I collagen. We also found that periostin increased gene expression of pathways involved in repair, including integrin and growth factor signaling and ECM production, and it stimulated focal adhesion kinase, Rho GTPase, cytoskeletal reorganization, and migration of PKD cells. These results suggest that periostin stimulates signaling pathways involved in an abnormal tissue repair process that contributes to cyst growth and fibrosis in PKD.