Abstract: Objective: To investigate the expressions of RhoA and ROCK proteins in glomeruli of the C57BL/6J young mice fed with high-fat diet(HFD),and to elucidate whether the RhoA/ROCK pathwaywas related to glomerular injuryinduced by HFD. Methods: Thirty-six male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal control group and HFD group,and there were 18 mice in each group.The mice in normal control group were given standard diet,and the mice in HFD group were given HFD;they were fed for 12 weeks.The body weights and the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) of the young mice in two groups were measured.HE staining,PAS staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathomorphology of kidney tissue,the relative areas of mesangial membrane and basement membrane and renal interstitial fibrous tissue of the young mice in two groups were detected;immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression levels of RhoA and ROCK in glomeruli of the young mice in two groups.The expression levels of RhoA,ROCK and vimentin proteins in glomeruli of the young mice in two groups were detected by Western blotting method. Results: Compared with normal control group,the body weight,the serum TC and TG levels of the young mice in HFD group were significantly increased (P<0.01).The HE staining results showed obvious fatty degeneration in the glomeruli of the young mice in HFD group;the PAS staining results showed mild proliferation of glomerular mesangial matrix of the young mice in HFD group;the Masson staining results showed that blue collagen fibers in glomeruli of the mice in HFD group were more abundant than those of the mice in normal control group.Compared with normal control group,the relative area of mesangial membrane and basement membrane of the young mice in HFD group was significantly increased (P<0.05),and the relative area of renal interstitial fibrous tissue was increased (P<0.05).Compared with normal control group,the expression levels of RhoA and ROCK proteins in the glomeruli of the young mice in HFD group were increased (P<0.05);the expression levels of RhoA,ROCK and Vimentin in the glomeruli of the young mice in HFD group were increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: The high expressions of RhoA and ROCK proteins in glomeruli of the C57BL/6J mice fed with HFD may be one of the causes of glomerular injury.

Key words: high-fat diet, glomerulus, RhoA proein, ROCK protein