Sirolimus damages podocytes in rats with protein overload nephropathy.

Conclusion: Sirolimus aggravates proteinuria in rats with protein overload nephropathy by damaging podocytes, a barrier of glomerular filtration. Furthermore, angiotensin II receptor blocker can counteract the effect of sirolimus, not only through hemodynamic changes but also partly by repairing the injury of podocytes. This study might be useful for understanding the mechanism of sirolimus-related proteinuria and guiding clinical treatments.
PMID: 20954132 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Journal of Nephrology)