This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the sclerotia of Poria cocos (WPC) on hypertonic stress-induced AQP2 expression and apoptosis in inner medullary collecting duct cell lines (IMCD-3).
Hypertonic stress was induced by 175 mM NaCl. Inhibitory effect of WPC on hypertonic stress-induced AQP2 expression and apoptosis were determined by western blot, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence.
Hypertonic stress (175 mM NaCl) increased in the levels of AQP2 expression by hypertonicity in IMCD-3 cells. WPC attenuated the hypertonicity-induced increase in protein and mRNA levels of AQP2 in a concentration-dependent manner. Pretreatment with WPC attenuated hypertonicity-induced cell death. Hypertonicity increased serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible protein kinase (Sgk1) phosphorylation, however, WPC attenuated the hypertonicity-induced Sgk1 activation. Tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) mRNA was also recovered by WPC under hypertonic stress. Pretreatment with WPC presented the similar effect of PKA inhibitor which decreased hypertonic stress-induced AQP2 expression. Hypertonicity increased cAMP levels and the changes were blocked by WPC. On the other hand, hypertonic stress-induced Bax or caspase-3 expression was decreased by WPC, resulting in anti-apoptotic effect.
These results provided evidence that the beneficial effect of WPC in water balance against in vitro hypertonic stress of renal collecting ducts. In addition, WPC exhibits anti-apoptotic property response to hypertonic stress. Thus, these data suggests that WPC has benefit for the therapeutic approach to the inhibition of renal disorder.