REGULATION OF PODOCYTE STRUCTURE DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Nephrotic syndrome is a common kidney disease seen in both children an d adults. The clinical syndrome includes massive proteinuria, hypoalbu minemia, edema, and usually hypercholesterolemia. Development of these clinical changes is closely correlated with profound structural chang es in glomerular epithelial cells, or podocytes, which together with t he glomerular basement membrane and endothelium comprise the kidney's blood filtration barrier. Although relatively little is known about th e cellular or molecular changes which occur within podocytes during th e development of nephrotic syndrome, cytoskeletal proteins very likely play a central role in these changes since they are primarily respons ible for the maintenance of cell structure in almost all cells. This r eview focuses on: (a) the structure and function of podocytes in both the normal state and during nephrotic syndrome and (b) the potential r oles of several cytoskeleton-associated proteins identified in podocyt es in the development of and/or recovery from the pathophysiological c ytoskeletal changes which occur in podocytes during nephrotic syndrome .