Elevated cannabinoid receptor 1 and G protein-coupled receptor 55 expression in proximal tubule cells and whole kidney exposed to diabetic conditions

Abstract

Hyperglycaemia increases the risk of developing diabetic nephropathy, with primary targets in the glomerulus and proximal tubule. Importantly, glomerular damage in the kidney leads to elevated albumin levels in the filtrate, which contributes to tubular structural modifications that lead to dysfunction. Diabetes alters the endocannabinoid system in a number of target organs, with previous research characterizing tissue-specific changes in the expression of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), a putative cannabinoid receptor, in diabetes. Although these receptors have a functional role in the cannabinoid system in the kidney, there has been little invest..