Abnormal lactate metabolism is linked to albuminuria and kidney injury in diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is characterized by abnormal kidney energy metabolism, but its causes and contributions to DN pathogenesis are not clear. To examine this issue, we carried out targeted metabolomics profiling in a mouse model of DN that develops kidney disease resembling the human disorder. We found a distinct profile of increased lactate levels and impaired energy metabolism in kidneys of mice with DN, and treatment with an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) reduced albuminuria, attenuated kidney pathology and corrected many metabolic abnormalities, restoring levels of lactate toward normal while increasing kidney ATP content. We also found enhanced expression of lactate dehydrogenase isoforms in DN. Expression of both the LdhA and LdhB isoforms were significantly increased in kidneys of mice, and treatment with ARB significantly reduced their expression. Single-cell sequencing studies showed specific up-regulation of LdhA in the proximal tubule, along with enhanced expression of oxidative stress pathways. There was a significant correlation between albuminuria and lactate in mice, and also in a Southeast Asian patient cohort consisting of individuals with type 2 diabetes and impaired kidney function. In the individuals with diabetes, this association was independent of ARB and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use. Furthermore, urinary lactate levels predicted the clinical outcomes of doubling of serum creatinine or development of kidney failure, and there was a significant correlation between urinary lactate levels and biomarkers of tubular injury and epithelial stress. Thus, we suggest that kidney metabolic disruptions leading to enhanced generation of lactate contribute to the pathogenesis of DN and increased urinary lactate levels may be a potential biomarker for risk of kidney disease progression.

Inflammation and Immunity Pathways Regulate Genetic Susceptibility to Diabetic Nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, but its molecular pathogenesis is not well defined, and there are no specific treatments. In humans, there is a strong genetic component determining susceptibility to DN. However, specific genes controlling DN susceptibility in humans have not been identified. In this study, we describe a mouse model combining type 1 diabetes with activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which develops robust kidney disease with features resembling human DN: heavy albuminuria, hypertension, and glomerulosclerosis. Additionally, there is a powerful effect of genetic background regulating susceptibility to nephropathy; the 129 strain is susceptible to kidney disease, whereas the C57BL/6 strain is resistant. To examine the molecular basis of this differential susceptibility, we analyzed the glomerular transcriptome of young mice early in the course of their disease. We find dramatic differences in regulation of immune and inflammatory pathways, with upregulation of proinflammatory pathways in the susceptible (129) strain and coordinate downregulation in the resistant (C57BL/6) strain. Many of these pathways are also upregulated in rat models and in humans with DN. Our studies suggest that genes controlling inflammatory responses, triggered by hyperglycemia and RAS activation, may be critical early determinants of susceptibility to DN.

Complementary Roles of GADD34- and CReP-Containing Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2α Phosphatases during the Unfolded Protein Response.

Phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) controls transcriptome-wide changes in mRNA translation in stressed cells. While phosphorylated eIF2α (P-eIF2α) attenuates global protein synthesis, mRNAs encoding stress proteins are more efficiently translated. Two eIF2α phosphatases, containing GADD34 and CReP, catalyze P-eIF2α dephosphorylation. The current view of GADD34, whose transcription is stress induced, is that it functions in a feedback loop to resolve cell stress. In contrast, CReP, which is constitutively expressed, controls basal P-eIF2α levels in unstressed cells. Our studies show that GADD34 drives substantial changes in mRNA translation in unstressed cells, particularly targeting the secretome. Following activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), rapid translation of GADD34 mRNA occurs and GADD34 is essential for UPR progression. In the absence of GADD34, eIF2α phosphorylation is persistently enhanced and the UPR translational program is significantly attenuated. This "stalled" UPR is relieved by the subsequent activation of compensatory mechanisms that include AKT-mediated suppression of PKR-like kinase (PERK) and increased expression of CReP mRNA, partially restoring protein synthesis. Our studies highlight the coordinate regulation of UPR by the GADD34- and CReP-containing eIF2α phosphatases to control cell viability.