C. van Ypersele de Strihou

A unique type of rapidly progressive renal fibrosis, designated Chinese herbs nephropathy (CHN), has been described in young Belgian women who had followed a slimming regimen including recently introduced Chinese herbs (Stephania tetrandra and Magnolia officinalis). Aristolochic acid (AA), a known nephrotoxin and carcinogen, was suspected as its causal factor. To substantiate this hypothesis, renal tissue from five patients with CHN and six patients with other renal diseases was analyzed for the presence of AA-derived DNA adducts, a described biomarker of AA exposure associated with its carcinogenic and mutagenic activity. Using the 32P-postlabeling method, a major distinct DNA adduct spot was found in all five cases of CHN and identified by cochromatographic analyses with authentic markers as the deoxyadenosine adduct of AA-I [7-(deoxyadenosin-N6-yl)-aristolactam I], the major component of the plant extract AA. This DNA adduct was absent in the six control cases. The 7-(deoxyadenosin-N6-yl)-aristolactam I adduct levels in CHN ranged from 0.7 to 5.3/10(7) nucleotides. Our data demonstrate that AA is implicated in CHN. They suggest a mechanism for the urothelial atypia and cancers observed in this disease and raise the possibility that a DNA mutation is responsible for the kidney-destructive fibrotic process.

Pentosidine is an advanced glycation end product and its formation is shown to be closely related to oxidative processes. Recent studies have shown that pentosidine levels are increased not only in plasma and matrix proteins from diabetic patients, but also markedly in nondiabetic hemodialysis patients. Currently, the mechanism of accumulation and kinetics of pentosidine formation in hemodialysis patients remain unknown. Gel filtration of uremic plasma revealed that plasma pentosidine exists in the albumin fraction (approximately 90%) and, interestingly, in free form (approximately 5%) as well. Plasma free pentosidine was undetectable in subjects with normal renal function. There was a significant correlation between the plasma levels of albumin-linked and free pentosidine in hemodialysis patients. Kinetic studies indicated that dietary pentosidine was absorbed into the circulation and that, after either oral or intravenous administration of pentosidine to intact or nephrectomized rats, the plasma free pentosidine level was closely linked to the level of renal function. These findings demonstrate that: (1) Pentosidine accumulates as albumin-linked and in free form in the circulation of uremic patients; (2) dietary pentosidine can be absorbed into the circulation, thus being one possible origin of circulating free pentosidine; (3) free pentosidine may accumulate as a result of decreased glomerular filtration; and (4) the mechanism of accumulation of albumin-linked pentosidine is not related to high glucose levels. It suggests the simultaneous accumulation, during renal failure, of either unknown pentosidine precursor(s) or catalyst(s) of glycoxidation, independent of glucose.