Figure 2.

The mechanisms of MMP-7 action in kidney disease. (A) In renal tubular epithelial cells, MMP-7 promotes cell proliferation and reduces cell death by degrading E-cadherin and FasL, respectively, and finally plays a role in protecting the kidney during acute kidney injury (AKI). (B) However, MMP-7 also degrades E-cadherin and activates proMMP-2 and -9, leading to renal fibrosis. (C) In podocytes, MMP-7-mediated degradation of nephrin impairs the integrity of the slit diaphragm, which subsequently causes an increase in proteinuria and eventually leads to renal fibrosis.