ATF6 pathway of unfolded protein response mediates advanced oxidation protein product-induced hypertrophy and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in HK-2 cells

Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) accelerate the progression of chronic kidney disease. We previously demonstrated that AOPPs induce hypertrophy and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human proximal tubular cells (HK-2 cells) through induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, which pathway of unfolded protein response (UPR) induced by ER stress plays crucial roles in this process remains unclear. In this study,...