Acute kidney injury is a common condition caused by infections and circulatory disorders. Although the tissues of the organs have the ability to recover, the regeneration process sometimes gets disrupted, leading to excessive connective tissue growth (fibrosis) and scarring. According to scientists, current treatment methods do not effectively restore functional cells and prevent fibrosis at the same time.
It was later discovered that the compound inhibits enzymes that regulate the assembly of DNA. This substance facilitates the reading of genetic information in DNA, which activates the function of different genes. Thanks to this property, ‘Trichostatin A’ can activate important genes. Scientists treated epithelial cells with this substance and then assessed how the rate of cell division and glucose breakdown activity changed. Glucose breakdown is the process by which cells obtain energy from breaking down glucose, as well as the number of proteins that regulate these processes.
In the case of fibroblasts, the compound, conversely, reduced the activity of ‘Akt kinase’ protein and suppressed their division. Additionally, the glucose breakdown slowed down. The study concluded that at this stage, scientists face the task of continuing to explore approaches to combat fibrosis and develop compounds that reduce the viability of fibroblast cells, with minimal or even positive effects on kidney epithelial cells.
