Distinct Roles for Basal and Induced COX-2 in Podocyte Injury

Transgenic mice that overexpress cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selectively in podocytes are more susceptible to glomerular injury by adriamycin and puromycin (PAN). To investigate the potential roles of COX-2 metabolites, we studied mice with selective deletion of prostanoid receptors and generated conditionally immortalized podocyte lines from mice with either COX-2 deletion or overexpression. Podocytes that overexpressed COX-2 were virtually indistinguishable from wild-type podocytes but were significantly more sensitive to PAN-induced injury, produced more prostaglandin E-2 and thromboxane B-2, and had greater expression of prostaglandin E2 receptor subtype 4 (EP4) and thromboxane receptor (TP). Treatment of COX-2-overexpressing podocytes with a TP antagonist reduced apoptosis, but treatment with an EP4 antagonist did not. In contrast, podocytes from COX-2-knockout mice exhibited increased apoptosis, markedly decreased cell adhesion, and prominent stress fibers. In vivo, selective deletion of podocyte EP4 did not alter the increased sensitivity to adriamycin-induced injury observed in mice overexpressing podocyte COX-2. In contrast, genetic deletion of TP in these mice prevented adriamycin-induced injury, with attenuated albuminuria and foot process effacement. These results suggest that basal COX-2 may be important for podocyte survival, but overexpression of podocyte COX-2 increases susceptibility to podocyte injury, which is mediated, in part, by activation of the thromboxane receptor.