TY - JOUR TI - Expression of Ser(729) phosphorylated PKCepsilon in experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis: an immunohistochemical study AU - Karavana, V. N. AU - Gakiopoulou, H. AU - Lianos, E. A. JO - European Journal of Histochemistry PY - 2014 VL - 58 TODO - 2 SP - 88-94 PB - PAGEPRESS PUBL SN - 1121-760X TODO - 10.4081/ejh.2014.2308 TODO - glomerulonephritis; crescents; PKCepsilon; podocytes; phosphorylation TODO - PKCe, a DAG-dependent, Ca2+- independent kinase attenuates extent of fibrosis following tissue injury, suppresses apoptosis and promotes cell quiescence. In crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN), glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) contribute to fibro-cellular crescent formation while they also transdifferentiate to a mesenchymal phenotype. The aim of this study was to assess PKCe expression in CGN. Using an antibody against PKC-epsilon phosphorylated at Ser(729), we assessed its localization in rat model of immune-mediated rapidly progressive CGN. In glomeruli of control animals, pPKC epsilon was undetectable. In animals with CGN, pPKC epsilon was expressed exclusively in glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) and in GEC comprising fibrocellular crescents that had acquired a myofibroblasttype phenotype. In non-immune GEC injury induced by puromycin aminonucleoside and resulting in proteinuria of similar magnitude as in CGN, pPKCe expression was absent. There was constitutive pPKC epsilon expression in distal convoluted tubules, collecting ducts and thick segments of Henley’s loops in both control and experimental animals. We propose that pPKCe expression occurring in GEC and in fibrocellular crescentic lesions in CGN may facilitate PKCe dependent pathologic processes. ER -