High glucose reduces generation of plasmin activity by mesangial cells

Mesangium enlargement is a central feature of diabetic nephropathy and almost certainly plays a pathogenic role in this condition. Previous studies have shown that mesangium degradation is reduced in a high glucose mileau. Plasmin has been shown to play an important role in extracellular matrix degradation, both directly and through its ability to activate the matrix metalloproteinases. We therefore investigated how high glucose concentration may affect the various components of the plasminogen cascade on mesangial cells and whether it impairs the ability of the mesangial cell to generate plasmin activity. Results showed decreased binding of plasminogen and the urokinase type plasminogen activator to the mesangial cell surface while the tissue type plasminogen activator and the plasminogen activator-1 associated with mesangial cells were increased. The net effect of these changes was a reduced capacity of mesangial cell layers to generate plasmin activity in a high glucose environment. We postulate that this may be of importance in the reduced mesangium degradation which occurs in diabetes. (C) 1997 Academic Press.