Grant: Operating Grant

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease, and is recognized as one of the more important causes of morbidity and mortality in Canada. In the kidney, prostaglandins are implicated in the maintenance of glomerular filtration, they regulate cell growth and death responses, affect vascular integrity, and transport of water and electrolytes (sodium, potassium) along the tubules. DN involves disturbances in all these aspects of kidney function, therefore prostaglandins may be targeted to help slow the progression of these changes in the kidney. Though we have long recognized the involvement of prostaglandins in DN, to this day we are unsure of their exact contribution, whether they propagate the renal changes or serve to counteract the harmful effects of other agents. Prostaglandins are mainly produced in the glomeruli and collecting ducts of the kidney, by proteins called cyclooxygenases, which are inhibited by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Diabetes is an epidemic in North America and accounts for 30% of patients with chronic kidney disease. We strongly believe this research can lead to novel targets for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease and improve the lives of those affected.