Horst Kessler

THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF ARGININE–GLYCINE–ASPARTIC ACID PEPTIDES IN ACUTE RENAL INJURY

1. Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested that arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) peptides, serving as a decoy, may prevent tubular obstruction in the ischaemic model of acute renal failure. Specifically, we have demonstrated that: (i) stressed tubular epithelial cells reverse the polarity of integrin receptors from the predominantly basolateral location to the apical cell membrane as a part of a more generalized process of the loss of epithelial cell polarity; (ii) depletion of integrins expressed on the basal cell surface leads to the loss of anchorage to the basement membrane and cell desquamation; (iii) expression of integrin receptors on the apical cell membrane leads to indiscriminate interactions (e.g. the adhesion of desquamated cells to the cells remaining in situ), thus initiating the process of tubular obstruction; and (iv) conglomeration of the desquamated cells via integrin receptors further aggravates tubular obstruction.