Submitted on October 20, 2008
Revised on March 23, 2009
Accepted on March 23, 2009
The acute-phase response protein serum amyloid A stimulates renal tubule formation: studies in vitro and in vivo
Katherine J. Kelly1, Barbara Kluve-Beckerman2, and Jesus H. Dominguez2*
1 University of Indiana
2 Indiana University School of Medicine
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jhdoming{at}iupui.edu.
Serum amyloid A protein (SAA) surges 1000-fold in the blood of acute-phase animals, and yet its function during these acute events remains unknown. We report herein that SAA stimulates a developmental program in cultured NRK52E cells that culminates in differentiated and functional tubules that feature a proximal tubule phenotype. We also found strong SAA expression in states of tubule formation (in-utero stage) and regeneration (recovery from ischemic/reperfusion injury). These data lend support to a novel view of a more localized renal acute phase reaction, where renal SAA may act as a paracrine or autocrine molecule that promotes tubule formation during development and repair.
