Mesangial cell-derived factors alter monocyte activation and function through inflammatory pathways: possible pathogenic role in diabetic nephropathy

1 Department of Endocrinology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, ; 2 Discipline of Medicine, University of Sydney, and ; 3 Sydney Head & Neck Cancer Institute, Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Submitted February 10, 2009 ; accepted in final form September 4, 2009 Infiltration of macrophages to the kidney is a feature of early diabetic nephropathy. For this to happen monocytes must become activated, migrate from the circulation, and infiltrate the mesangium. This process involves degradation of extracellular matrix, a process mediated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In the present study we investigate the expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF- , IL-6, and MMP-9 in glomeruli of control and diabetic rodents and use an in vitro coculture system to examine whether factors secreted by mesangial cells in response to a diabetic milieu can induce monocyte MMP-9 expression and infiltration. After 8 wk of diabetes, the glomerular level of TNF- , IL-6, and macrophage number and colocalization of MMP-9 with macrophage were increased ( P < 0.01). Coculture of THP1 monocytes and glomerular mesangial cells in 5 or 25 mM glucose increased MMP-9 (5 mM: 65% and 25 mM: 112%; P < 0.05) and conditioned media degradative activity (5 mM: 30.0% and 25 mM: 33.5%: P < 0.05). These effects were reproduced by addition of mesangial cell conditioned medium to THP1 cells. High glucose (25 mM) increased TNF- , IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in mesangial cell conditioned medium. These cytokines all increased adhesion and differentiation of THP1 cells ( P < 0.05), but only TNF- and IL-6 increased MMP-9 expression (50- and 60-fold, respectively; P < 0.05). Our results show that mesangial cell-secreted factors increase monocyte adhesion, differentiation, MMP expression, and degradative capacity. High glucose could augment these effects by increasing mesangial cell proinflammatory cytokine secretion. This mesangial cell-monocyte interaction may be important in activating monocytes to migrate from the circulation to the kidney in the early stages of diabetic nephropathy. matrix metalloproteinases; matrix degradation; cell adhesion and infiltration; inflammation response Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: D. Min, Dept. of Endocrinology, Bld. 96, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia (e-mail: danqingm{at}med.usyd.edu.au ).