Structural and Activity Changes in Renal Betaine Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Caused by Oxidants

Oxidative stress has been implicated in a variety of diseases such as glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial nephritis, renal insufficiency, proteinuria, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and hypertension, as well as contributing to the pathogenesis of ischemia reperfusion injury in the kidney (Banday & Lokhandwala, 2011; Martin & GoeddekeMerickel, 2005; Touyz, 2004; Vaziri, 2004). One of the most important functions of kidney is the regulation of liquid volume. Broad shifts in osmolality, high urea concentrations and low oxygen tension are required by the urine concentrating mechanism to produce concentrated urine (Kwon et al., 2009; Burg & Ferraris, 2008; Neuhofer & Beck, 2006). There is evidence indicating that the osmotic stress and low oxygen tension produced in medullary cells generates an increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which triggers damage to kidney cells.