Galectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins, and their importance in renal diseases of diverse etiology has been documented. Amongst different galectins, the role of galectin-3 in the pathophysiology of renal diseases has been well documented. There is an increase in galectin-3 in the circulation as well as on the kidneys in chronic kidney disease patients. The increase in galectin-3 is negatively correlated with a decrease in renal function and overall survival rate. The preclinical studies also correlate the increase in galectin-3 levels with renal dysfunction. Accordingly, scientists have exploited galectin-3 as a potential pharmacological target to improve renal functions in different preclinical models of renal injury. Apart from galectin-3, there have been few studies documenting the role of galectin-1, 8, and 9 in renal diseases. The role of galectin-1 is not clearly identified, and there have been conflicting reports regarding its role in renal diseases. Galectin-8 and 9 impart renoprotective effects as per clinical and preclinical studies, respectively. The present review discusses the role of different galectins in renal diseases of diverse etiology. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ming Gu, Xianglin Mei, Yanan Zhao. Galectins as potential pharmacological targets in renal injuries of diverse etiology. European journal of pharmacology. 2020 Aug 15;881:173213
PMID: 32450176
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