Targeting Endogenous Repair Pathways after AKI Humphreys, Benjamin D.; Cantaluppi, Vincenzo; Portilla, Didier ...
Journal of the American Society of Nephrology,
04/2016, Letnik:
27, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Scarring of the kidney is a major public health concern, directly promoting loss of kidney function. To understand the role of microRNA (miRNA) in the progression of kidney scarring in response to ...injury, we investigated changes in miRNA expression in two kidney fibrosis models and identified 24 commonly up-regulated miRNAs. Among them, miR-21 was highly elevated in both animal models and in human transplanted kidneys with nephropathy. Deletion of miR-21 in mice resulted in no overt abnormality. However, miR-21(-/-) mice suffered far less interstitial fibrosis in response to kidney injury, a phenotype duplicated in wild-type mice treated with anti-miR-21 oligonucleotides. Global derepression of miR-21 target mRNAs was readily detectable in miR-21(-/-) kidneys after injury. Analysis of gene expression profiles up-regulated in the absence of miR-21 identified groups of genes involved in metabolic pathways, including the lipid metabolism pathway regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (Pparα), a direct miR-21 target. Overexpression of Pparα prevented ureteral obstruction-induced injury and fibrosis. Pparα deficiency abrogated the antifibrotic effect of anti-miR-21 oligonucleotides. miR-21 also regulated the redox metabolic pathway. The mitochondrial inhibitor of reactive oxygen species generation Mpv17l was repressed by miR-21, correlating closely with enhanced oxidative kidney damage. These studies demonstrate that miR-21 contributes to fibrogenesis and epithelial injury in the kidney in two mouse models and is a candidate target for antifibrotic therapies.
We have examined the pathogenic role of increased complement expression and activation during kidney fibrosis. Here, we show that PDGFRβ-positive pericytes isolated from mice subjected to obstructive ...or folic acid injury secrete C1q. This was associated with increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, extracellular matrix components, collagens, and increased Wnt3a-mediated activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which are hallmarks of myofibroblast activation. Real-time PCR, immunoblots, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry analysis performed in whole kidney tissue confirmed increased expression of C1q, C1r, and C1s as well as complement activation, which is measured as increased synthesis of C3 fragments predominantly in the interstitial compartment. Flow studies localized increased C1q expression to PDGFRβ-positive pericytes as well as to CD45-positive cells. Although deletion of C1qA did not prevent kidney fibrosis, global deletion of C3 reduced macrophage infiltration, reduced synthesis of C3 fragments, and reduced fibrosis. Clodronate mediated depletion of CD11bF4/80 high macrophages in UUO mice also reduced complement gene expression and reduced fibrosis. Our studies demonstrate local synthesis of complement by both PDGFRβ-positive pericytes and CD45-positive cells in kidney fibrosis. Inhibition of complement activation represents a novel therapeutic target to ameliorate fibrosis and progression of chronic kidney disease.
Increased expression of complement C1r, C1s and C3 in kidney cells plays an important role in the pathogenesis of kidney fibrosis. Our studies suggest that activation of complement in kidney cells ...with increased generation of C3 and its fragments occurs by activation of classical and alternative pathways. Single nuclei RNA sequencing studies in kidney tissue from unilateral ureteral obstruction mice show that increased synthesis of complement C3 and C5 occurs primarily in renal tubular epithelial cells (proximal and distal), while increased expression of complement receptors C3ar1 and C5ar1 occurs in interstitial cells including immune cells like monocytes/macrophages suggesting compartmentalization of complement components during kidney injury. Although global deletion of C3 and macrophage ablation prevent inflammation and reduced kidney tissue scarring, the development of mice with cell‐specific deletion of complement components and their regulators could bring further insights into the mechanisms by which intracellular complement activation leads to fibrosis and progressive kidney disease.
Linked Articles
This article is part of a themed issue on Canonical and non‐canonical functions of the complement system in health and disease. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v178.14/issuetoc
In the development of novel therapeutic strategies for kidney disease, new renal biomarkers for early detection and accurate evaluation of renal injury are urgently required for both acute kidney ...injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Fatty acid-binding protein 1 (FABP1) is expressed in renal proximal tubule cells and shed into urine in response to hypoxia caused by decreased peritubular capillary blood flow. To clarify the role of urinary FABP1 in kidney disease, we established human FABP1 transgenic mice and evaluated the responses of FABP1 to several AKI and CKD models. Moreover, there are accumulating clinical data that urinary FABP1 can detect human AKI earlier than serum creatinine and can distinguish the risk population for AKI. Investigation with "humanized" FABP1 transgenic mice and measurement of clinical samples allowed us to develop urinary FABP1 as a new renal biomarker. Further clinical studies are necessary to confirm the potential of urinary FABP1 for clinical application.
The present study aimed to evaluate whether levels of urinary L-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) could be used to monitor histological injury in acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by cis- ...platinum (CP) injection and ischemia reperfusion (IR). Different degrees of AKI severity were induced by several renal insults (CP dose and ischemia time) in human L-FABP transgenic mice. Renal histological injury scores increased with both CP dose and ischemic time. In CP-induced AKI, urinary L-FABP levels increased exponentially even in the lowest dose group as early as 2 hours, whereas blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels increased at 48 hours. In IR-induced AKI, BUN levels increased only in the 30-minute ischemia group 24 hours after reperfusion; however, urinary L-FABP levels increased more than 100-fold, even in the 5-minute ischemia group after 1 hour. In both AKI models, urinary L-FABP levels showed a better correlation with final histological injury scores and glomerular filtration rates measured by fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled inulin injection than with levels of BUN and urinary N -acetyl- d -glucosaminidase, especially at earlier time points. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that urinary L-FABP was superior to other biomarkers for the detection of significant histological injuries and functional declines. In conclusion, urinary L-FABP levels are better suited to allow the accurate and earlier detection of both histological and functional insults in ischemic and nephrotoxin-induced AKI compared with conventional renal markers.
Recently, we demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha) ligand ameliorates cisplatin-induced acute renal failure (ARF) by preventing inhibition of substrate ...oxidation, and also by preventing apoptosis and necrosis of the proximal tubule (Li S, Bhatt R, Megyesi J, Gokden N, Shah SV, and Portilla D. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 287: F990-F998, 2004). In the following studies, we examined the protective effect of PPARalpha ligand on cisplatin-induced inflammatory responses during ARF. Mice subjected to a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin developed ARF at day 3. Cisplatin increased mRNA and protein expression of TNF-alpha, RANTES, and also upregulated endothelial adhesion molecules ICAM-1/VCAM-1 and chemokine receptors CCR1/CCR5. Cisplatin also led to neutrophil infiltration in the corticomedullary region. Pretreatment of wild-type mice with WY-14,643, a fibrate class of PPARalpha ligands, before cisplatin significantly suppressed cisplatin-induced upregulation of cytokine/chemokine expression, prevented neutrophil accumulation, and ameliorated renal dysfunction. In contrast, treatment with PPARalpha ligand before cisplatin did not prevent cytokine/chemokine production, neutrophil accumulation, and did not protect kidney function in PPARalpha null mice. In addition, we observed that cisplatin-induced NF-kappaB binding activity in nuclear extracts from wild-type mice was markedly reduced by treatment with PPARalpha ligand. These results demonstrate that PPARalpha exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in kidney tissue by a mechanism that includes inhibition of NF-kappaB DNA binding activity, and this effect results in inhibition of neutrophil infiltration, cytokine/chemokine release, and amelioration of cisplatin-induced ARF.
This study aimed to elucidate the role of L-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) in renal tubulointerstitial injury using a mouse adenine-induced renal injury model. C57BL/6 mice fed excess ...dietary adenine for 6 weeks showed a gradual increase in levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN). They also showed severe tubulointerstitial pathological findings, such as fibrosis and macrophage infiltration without glomerular damage, which were attenuated by treatment with either allopurinol or Y-700, a new xanthine dehydroxygenase inhibitor. Because renal expression of L-FABP is defective in C57BL/6 mice, human L-FABP transgenic mice were fed an adenine-containing diet. Transgenic mice showed lower BUN levels and lower levels of pathological injury compared with wild-type mice. On the other hand, urinary levels and renal expression of L-FABP in the adenine group was significantly increased and attenuated by treatment with either allopurinol or Y-700. Urinary L-FABP was positively correlated with BUN levels and pathological damages in the tubulointerstitium. No increases in urinary protein, albumin, or N-acetyl-β- d -glucosaminidase levels were found for 6 weeks in any group. In conclusion, we demonstrated that urinary L-FABP levels can be used to monitor both dynamics and drug responses in a mouse adenine-induced tubulointerstitial injury model.