Nitric oxide modulates mechanical strain-induced activation of p38 MAPK in mesangial cells

Mesangial cells (MC), grown on extracellular matrix (ECM) protein-coated plates and stretched, proliferate and produce ECM, recapitulating in vivo responses to increased glomerular capillary pressure (Pgc). Transduction of strain involves mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), and we have shown that p38 MAPK is activated by strain in MC. Because in vivo studies show that nitric oxide (NO) in the remnant kidney limits glomerular injury …