SB-216763, a GSK-3ß inhibitor, protects against aldosterone-induced cardiac, and renal injury by activating autophagy.

Cardiovascular and renal inflammation induced by Aldosterone (Aldo) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and renal fibrosis. GSK-3ß contributes to inflammatory cardiovascular and renal diseases, but its role in Aldo-induced hypertension, and renal damage is not clear. In the present study, rats were treated with Aldo combined with SB-216763 (a GSK-3ß inhibitor) for 4 weeks. Hemodynamic, cardiac, and renal parameters were assayed at the indicated time. Here we found that rats treated with Aldo presented cardiac and renal hypertrophy and dysfunction. Cardiac and renal expression levels of molecular markers attesting inflammation and fibrosis were increased by Aldo infusion, whereas the treatment of SB-216763 reversed these alterations. SB-216763 suppressed cardiac and renal inflammatory cytokines levels (TNF-a, IL-1ß, and MCP-1). Meanwhile, SB-216763 increased the protein levels of LC3-II in the cardiorenal tissues as well as p62 degradation, indicating that SB-216763 induced autophagy activation in cardiac, and renal tissues. Importantly, inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA attenuated the role of SB-216763 in inhibiting perivascular fibrosis, and tubulointerstitial injury. These data suggest that SB-216763 protected against Aldo-induced cardiac and renal injury by activating autophagy, and might be a therapeutic option for salt-sensitive hypertension and renal fibrosis.

[Research update of Klotho in kidney injury and repair].

Klotho is highly expressed in the kidney, while soluble Klotho is detectable in the blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid, and has multiple hormone-like functions. The role of Klotho in kidney injury has attracted more and more attentions from researchers. Emerging evidence revealed that the transient deficiency of Klotho is an early event of acute kidney injury (AKI), whereas, in chronic kidney disease, this deficiency is sustained not only in the kidney, but also in other organ systems. Therefore, Klotho could be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of AKI, as well as for its progression to chronic kidney disease. Moreover, Klotho might have therapeutic value to renal injury. Nevertheless, there are only few studies on the involvement of Klotho in post AKI repair. This review focused on the role of Klotho in not only kidney injury, but also its repair, in particular the relationship between Klotho and cell fate (autophagy/apoptosis/necrosis), repair/regeneration, Wnt/ß-catenin and erythropoietin receptor, one of the Klotho effectors.

Protection of CTGF Antibody Against Diabetic Nephropathy in Mice Via Reducing Glomerular ß-Catenin Expression and Podocyte Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Despite substantial progress in medical care, the morbidity rate of diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains high in patients with diabetes. Evidence suggests that connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) induced podocyte injury may contribute to DN and CTGF inhibition could reduce albuminuria. However, to date the mechanisms involved in the effect of CTGF on podocyte injury have not been fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of therapeutic CTGF antibody on glomerular ß-catenin expression and podocyte epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in diabetic mice. C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups as the following: the control, DN, and DN treated by CTGF antibody group. DN was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and then CTGF antibody was administrated three times per week for 8 weeks. Urinary albumin excretion, mesangial proliferation and matrix deposition, and ß-catenin expression in glomeruli at mRNA and protein level were all increased in DN mice compared to that in the control. Besides, the development of EMT in podocytes from diabetic mice, demonstrated by the downregulation of nephrin and upregulation of desmin in glomeruli, was detected. Furthermore, blocking CTGF by specific antibody reduced albuminuria, prevented the overexpression of CTGF, as well as ß-catenin, in glomeruli and subsequently ameliorated podocyte EMT in DN mice. In summary, this study suggested that CTGF antibody protected podocytes against injury in DN mice by reducing ß-catenin overexpression and preventing podocyte EMT, which might provide new insight into the mechanism of CTGF inhibition in the treatment of DN. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3706-3712, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The role of renal damage on cardiac remodeling in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular damage and diabetic nephropathy are major complications in patients with Type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN); however, the role of renal damage on cardiac remodeling is not yet fully known. METHODS: A retrospective research was conducted in 254 T2DN patients. All were divided into three groups according to urinary albumin excretion (UAE): the normoalbuminuria group (UAE < 30 mg/g, n = 18), the microalbuminuria group (UAE 30 - 300 mg/g, n = 99) and the macroalbuminuria group (UAE > 300 mg/g, n = 137). The parameters of cardiac remodeling, left atrial diameter (LAD), left ventricular diameter at the end of diastole (LVDd), interventricular septum (IVS), posterior wall of left ventricle (PWLV) and ejection fraction (EF), were determined by Doppler echocardiography. The effects of renal damage on cardiac remodeling were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 254 patients, LAD and LVDd enlargement was found in 180 (70.86%) and 53 (20.86%) patients, respectively; 46 cases (18.11%) suffered from both LAD and LVDd enlargement. Compared with normal LAD/LVDd groups, creatinine clearance (Ccr) and hemoglobin (Hb) were significantly lower in the left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) dilated groups. LAD was positively correlated with mesangial sclerosis, tubular-interstitial lesions, interstitial fibrosis, as well as tubular basement membrane thickness (r = 0.273, 0.208, 0.176, 0.155, p < 0.05, respectively). Moreover, in comparison to patients with LA enlargement, more severe renal damage was detected in patients with LV enlargement. CONCLUSION: There is a strong correlation between echocardiographic parameters and kidney lesions in patients with T2DN in China; the more severe the renal damage, the more severe the cardiac structural alteration. Renal damage contributes to cardiac remodeling, which may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications ,in diabetes mellitus.

The roles of connective tissue growth factor and integrin-linked kinase in high glucose-induced phenotypic alterations of podocytes.

Emerging evidence has suggested that podocytes undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and integrin-linked kinase (ILK) are involved in the progression of DN. However, the underlying mechanisms of EMT are not well understood. The study aimed to investigate the roles of CTGF and ILK in high glucose-induced phenotypic alterations of podocytes and determine whether ILK signaling is downstream of CTGF. The epithelial marker of nephrin and the mesenchymal marker of desmin were investigated by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting. The results demonstrated that podocytes displayed a spreading, arborized morphology in normal glucose, whereas they had a cobblestone morphology in high glucose conditions, accompanied by decreased nephrin expression and increased desmin expression, suggesting podocytes underwent EMT. In response to high glucose, CTGF and ILK expression in podocytes were increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner, whereas the increase did not occur in the osmotic control. Furthermore, the inhibition of CTGF with anti-CTGF antibody prevented the phenotypic transition, as demonstrated by the preservation of epithelial morphology, the suppression of high glucose-induced desmin overexpression and the restoration of nephrin. Of note, the upregulation of ILK induced by high glucose was partially blocked by the inhibition of CTGF. In summary, these findings suggested that CTGF and ILK were involved in high glucose-induced phenotypic alterations of podocytes. ILK acted as a downstream kinase of CTGF and high glucose-induced ILK expression might occur through CTGF-dependent and -independent pathways.

Effects of angiotensin II receptor blocker on myocardial endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence has indicated that the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a crucial event during early stages of cardiac fibrosis. In the present study, we first investigated the influence of Irbesartan (Irb) on myocardial EndMT in diabetic rats. METHODS: Diabetic rats were divided into two groups: the diabetic group (DM) and the Irb-treated group (DM+Irb). Wistar-Kyoto rats served as controls. The pathological changes were investigated by microscopy. Immunofluorescence was performed to evaluate the co-expression of CD31 and fibroblast-specific protein 1 (FSP1). FSP1 and α-SMA expressions were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. EndMT was also studied in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) that had been exposed to high glucose (HG) levels. RESULTS: Increased interstitial fibrosis was detected in the DM group. Double labeling revealed CD31 expression in FSP1-positive cells in the DM group, and this expression was diminished by Irb treatment (P<0.05). In vitro, we found that HG stimulated angiotensin II synthesis in HAECs. When HAECs were exposed to HG, some of the cells acquired a spindle-shaped morphology and demonstrated a loss of CD31 labeling, which was attenuated by Irb treatment. FSP1 and α-SMA mRNA and protein expression levels were markedly upregulated in diabetic rats compared to controls, and their expressions were inhibited by Irb treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results provide the novel insight that an angiotensin II receptor blocker might prevent diabetic cardiomyopathy by abrogating EndMT in diabetic rats.

Inhibition of integrin-linked kinase by angiotensin II receptor antagonist, irbesartan attenuates podocyte injury in diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) dysregulation is involved in the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), irbesartan, on ILK expression and podocyte injury in DN. METHODS: DN was induced by the combined feeding of high-sucrose, high-fat diet and intra-peritoneal injection of low dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Diabetic rats were treated with irbesartan (50 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)) by gavage for 8 weeks. The renal morphologic changes and podocyte injury were investigated by light and electron microscopy, and the ILK expression was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: Diabetic rats exhibited with the similar clinical feature of type 2 DN. Morphologically, they were characterized by expansion of mesangial matrix, loss of podocyte and podocyte injury. Impressively, compared to controls, the ILK expression in diabetic rats were upregulated, which were positively correlated with both podocyte injury and albuminuria. Irbesartan significantly prevented ILK overexpression, along with the amelioration of podocyte injury and albuminuria. CONCLUSIONS: ILK plays an important role in mediating podocyte injury in DN; irbesartan inhibits ILK upregulation and attenuates podocyte injury, which might offer a new insight into the role of ARB in preventing DN progression.

A pilot trial assessing urinary gene expression profiling with an mRNA array for diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: The initiation and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is complex. Quantification of mRNA expression in urinary sediment has emerged as a novel strategy for studying renal diseases. Considering the numerous molecules involved in DN development, a high-throughput platform with parallel detection of multiple mRNAs is needed. In this study, we constructed a self-assembling mRNA array to analyze urinary mRNAs in DN patients with aims to reveal its potential in searching novel biomarkers. METHODS: mRNA array containing 88 genes were fabricated and its performance was evaluated. A pilot study with 9 subjects including 6 DN patients and 3 normal controls were studied with the array. DN patients were assigned into two groups according to their estimate glomerular rate (eGFR): DNI group (eGFR>60 ml/min/1.73 m(2), n = 3) and DNII group (eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2), n = 3). Urinary cell pellet was collected from each study participant. Relative abundance of these target mRNAs from urinary pellet was quantified with the array. RESULTS: The array we fabricated displayed high sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, the Cts of Positive PCR Controls in our experiments were 24±0.5 which indicated high repeatability of the array. A total of 29 mRNAs were significantly increased in DN patients compared with controls (p<0.05). Among these genes, α-actinin4, CDH2, ACE, FAT1, synaptopodin, COL4α, twist, NOTCH3 mRNA expression were 15-fold higher than those in normal controls. In contrast, urinary TIMP-1 mRNA was significantly decreased in DN patients (p<0.05). It was shown that CTGF, MCP-1, PAI-1, ACE, CDH1, CDH2 mRNA varied significantly among the 3 study groups, and their mRNA levels increased with DN progression (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our pilot study demonstrated that mRNA array might serve as a high-throughput and sensitive tool for detecting mRNA expression in urinary sediment. Thus, this primary study indicated that mRNA array probably could be a useful tool for searching new biomarkers for DN.

Effects of angiotensin receptor blocker on phenotypic alterations of podocytes in early diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that podocyte injury is a crucial event in the stage of diabetic nephropathy (DN), a process in which angiotensin II is implicated. In this study, the authors investigated the influence of irbesartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, on the phenotypic alterations of podocytes in experimental DN. METHODS: DN was induced by combination of high-sucrose, high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of low dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Diabetic rats were treated with irbesartan (50 mg/kg/d) by gavage for 8 weeks. Nondiabetic normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats, which have the same genetic background as spontaneously hypertensive rat, were used as controls. The renal histological changes were investigated by light and electron microscopy. The epithelial marker of nephrin and mesenchymal marker of desmin were detected by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with controls, diabetic rats were associated with mesangial matrix deposition, thickening of glomerular basement membrane, albuminuria, loss of podocytes and effacement of foot processes. Furthermore, the expression of nephrin was significantly reduced whereas desmin was increased. Irbesartan treatment not only lowered blood pressure and albuminuria but also attenuated podocyte loss, maintenance of nephrin expression and inhibition of desmin expression. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that early irbesartan intervention attenuates the podocyte damage and ameliorates phenotypic alterations of podocytes, which provides a novel insight for the early application of angiotensin receptor blocker to prevent the development of DN.