Pro-inflammatory/Th1 gene expression shift in high glucose stimulated mesangial cells and tubular epithelial cells

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major cause of end stage kidney disease and a strong risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Growing data show chronic inflammation plays an important role for the progression of DN. As for the immune cells, anti-inflammatory leukocytes as well as pro-inflammatory leukocytes play an important role in DN. In addition to leukocytes, renal resident cells contribute to the inflammatory process of DN. However, precise functions, phenotypes and immune balance of renal resident cells remain to be explored. Therefore, we hypothesized that the aberrant immune balance of renal resident cells contributes to the pathogenesis of DN. To explore this possibility, we performed genome-wide transcriptome profiling in mesangial cells and tubular epithelial cells (TECs), which were stimulated by high glucose (HG) and detected the expression of inflammation associated genes. HG increased the mRNA expression of oxidative stress, inflammasome and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) related genes in mesangial cells. Pro-inflammatory/Th1 gene expression was upregulated, but Th2 related gene expression was downregulated in mesangial cells. In TECs, HG stimulation increased pro-inflammatory/Th1/Th2 gene expression. Phosphorylation of signaling proteins shifted towards pro-inflammatory phenotype with suppressed phosphorylation of Th2 related signaling in TECs. The data taken together indicate that HG shifts the immune balance toward pro-inflammatory/Th1 phenotype in mesangial cells and TECs, which might initiate and/or prolong inflammation, thereby resulting in diabetic nephropathy.