ENDOTHELIN-1 AND NA+,K+ ATPASE GENE EXPRESSION IS UPREGULATED IN ADULT KIDNEYS OF A NOVEL MOUSE MODEL OF HERITABLE RENAL HYPOPLASIA, SUPPORTING DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE Student Researcher: Jade Beerman-Kapoi, Kamehameha Schools

irradiation of the 3H1 strain and is inherited in a semi-dominant manner. The Br heterozygous (Br/+) mouse exhibits heritable renal hypopla-sia with reduced nephron numbers and decreased renal function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of markers of chronic renal failure (CRF) in adult Br/+ mice with kidney hypoplasia. Critical cardiorenal physiological genes including en-dothelin-1, ETA and ETB receptors, and Na +,K+ ATPase have previously shown upregulation in the kidneys of patients with CRF. In addition, increased levels of these genes contribute to the progression of CRF. To accurately measure the gene expression of these four genes, we used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on RNA extracted from adult Br/+ and wild type (+/+) kidneys. With the RNA extracted from the Br/+ and +/+ kidneys, cDNA was generated with reverse transcription reactions. A comparative statistical analysis of gene expression data determined whether the Br/+ kidney expresses higher levels of these genes, indicating that these kidneys show markers of CRF. Gene expression levels were calculated and compared as a function of the threshold cycles (Ct). Data were normalized using expression of beta-actin, and samples were each run in triplicate to minimize errors. Endothelin-1 and Na+,K+ ATPase mRNA ex-pression levels were significantly upregulated in the Br/+ kidneys, however ET receptors A and B mRNA expression levels in the Br/+ kidneys showed no significant difference in comparison to the +/+ kidneys