JAK inhibition during the early phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection worsens kidney injury by suppressing endogenous antiviral activity in mice.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induces respiratory dysfunction as well as kidney injury. Although the kidney is considered a target organ of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and affected by the COVID-19-induced cytokine storm, the mechanisms of renal reaction in SARS-CoV-2 infection are unknown. In this study, a murine COVID-19 model was induced by nasal infection with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (MA10). MA10 infection induced body weight loss along with lung inflammation in mice 4 days after infection. Serum creatinine levels and the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio increased on day 4 after MA10 infection. Measurement of the urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin/creatinine ratio and hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed tubular damage in MA10-infected murine kidneys, indicating kidney injury in the murine COVID-19 model. Interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin-6 upregulation in the sera of MA10-infected mice, along with the absence of MA10 in the kidneys, implied that the kidneys were affected by the MA10 infection-induced cytokine storm rather than by direct MA10 infection of the kidneys. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that antiviral genes, such as the IFN/Janus kinase (JAK) pathway, were upregulated in MA10-infected kidneys. Upon administration of the JAK inhibitor baricitinib on days 1-3 after MA10 infection, an antiviral pathway was suppressed, and MA10 was detected more frequently in the kidneys. Notably, JAK inhibition upregulated the hypoxia response and exaggerated kidney injury. These results suggest that endogenous antiviral activity protects against SARS-CoV-2-induced kidney injury in the early phase of infection, providing valuable insights into the pathogenesis of COVID-19-associated nephropathy.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Patients frequently present with acute kidney injury or abnormal urinary findings after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Here, we investigated how the kidneys respond during SARS-CoV-2 infection using a murine coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) model and showed that Janus kinase-mediated endogenous antiviral activity protects against kidney injury in the early phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings provide valuable insights into the renal pathophysiology of COVID-19.

Method for evaluating milk production in mouse mammary gland.

Lactation is a characteristic physiological function of mammals and is important for nourishing infants and the dairy industry; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the function remain to be elucidated. A technique to directly evaluate the quantity and quality of milk in mice is necessary for the study of the lactation mechanism in vivo. By measuring the changes in milk amount after different durations of milk accumulation (0-24 h) using a ductal cannulation technique and oxytocin supplementation, we estimated the milk production rate at a single mammary gland level. In addition, collected milk was available to assess milk quality, including creamatocrit, osmolarity, and concentrations of ions, lactose, and total protein. Moreover, as a proof of principle, the effects of intraductal administration of a hypertonic solution to the abdominal mammary gland were examined. This stimulation increased milk amount, possibly by osmosis, compared with the contralateral control gland. These results demonstrated that this method is useful for examining the lactation ability and mechanisms in vivo. Studies using this method will contribute to the further understanding of lactation mechanisms in mammals.

Arid5a/IL-6/PAI-1 Signaling Is Involved in the Pathogenesis of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Kidney Injury.

A systemic inflammatory response leads to widespread organ dysfunction, such as kidney dysfunction. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory kidney injury; however, the regulatory mechanism of PAI-1 in injured kidneys remains unclear. PAI-1 is induced by interleukin (IL)-6 in patients with sepsis. In addition, the stabilization of IL-6 is regulated by the adenine-thymine-rich interactive domain-containing protein 5a (Arid5a). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the involvement of Arid5a/IL-6/PAI-1 signaling in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory kidney injury. LPS treatment to C57BL/6J mice upregulated Pai-1 mRNA in the kidneys. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that PAI-1 expression was induced in the culture supernatants of LPS-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells, but not in those of LPS-treated human kidney 2 (HK-2) cells, a tubular cell line. Combined with single-cell analysis, endothelial cells were found to be responsible for PAI-1 elevation in LPS-treated kidneys. Administration of TM5441, a PAI-1 inhibitor, reduced the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, concomitant with downregulation of Il-6 and Arid5a mRNA expressions. IL-6 treatment in LPS model mice further upregulated Pai-1 mRNA expression compared with LPS alone, accompanied by renal impairment. Furthermore, the expression of Il-6 and Pai-1 mRNA was lower in Arid5a knockout mice than in wild-type mice after LPS treatment. Taken together, the vicious cycle of Arid5a/IL-6/PAI-1 signaling is involved in LPS-induced kidney injury.

Lessons Learned Serving Pregnant, Postpartum, and Parenting People with Substance Use Disorders in Massachusetts: The Moms Do Care Program.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and implementation of a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to supporting pregnant, postpartum, and parenting people (PPPP) and their families affected by substance use disorders (SUD). DESCRIPTION: Between 2015 and 2022, the Moms Do Care (MDC) Program, sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, established or expanded 11 co-located medical and behavioral health teams in locations across Massachusetts. These teams provided trauma-informed primary and obstetrical health care, SUD treatment and recovery services, parenting support, and case management for approximately 1048 PPPP with SUD. ASSESSMENT: By enhancing the capacity of medical and behavioral health providers offering integrated care across the perinatal health care continuum, MDC created a network of support for PPPP with SUD. Lessons learned include the need to continually invest in staff training to foster teambuilding and improve integrated service delivery, uplift the peer recovery coach role within the care team, improve engagement with and access to services for communities of color, and conduct evaluation and sustainability planning. CONCLUSION: MDC prioritizes trauma-informed integrated care, peer recovery, and commits to addressing inequities and stigma; thus, this program represents a promising approach to supporting PPPP impacted by SUD. The MDC model is relevant for those working to build multidisciplinary, integrated systems of health care and perinatal SUD services for marginalized populations.

Upregulation of OASIS/CREB3L1 in podocytes contributes to the disturbance of kidney homeostasis.

Podocyte injury is involved in the onset and progression of various kidney diseases. We previously demonstrated that the transcription factor, old astrocyte specifically induced substance (OASIS) in myofibroblasts, contributes to kidney fibrosis, as a novel role of OASIS in the kidneys. Importantly, we found that OASIS is also expressed in podocytes; however, the pathophysiological significance of OASIS in podocytes remains unknown. Upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, there is an increase in OASIS in murine podocytes. Enhanced serum creatinine levels and tubular injury, but not albuminuria and podocyte injury, are attenuated upon podocyte-restricted OASIS knockout in LPS-treated mice, as well as diabetic mice. The protective effects of podocyte-specific OASIS deficiency on tubular injury are mediated by protein kinase C iota (PRKCI/PKCι), which is negatively regulated by OASIS in podocytes. Furthermore, podocyte-restricted OASIS transgenic mice show tubular injury and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, with severe albuminuria and podocyte degeneration. Finally, there is an increase in OASIS-positive podocytes in the glomeruli of patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome and diabetic nephropathy. Taken together, OASIS in podocytes contributes to podocyte and/or tubular injury, in part through decreased PRKCI. The induction of OASIS in podocytes is a critical event for the disturbance of kidney homeostasis.