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Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2023Kidney diseases are worldwide public health problems affecting millions of people. However, there are still limited therapeutic options against kidney diseases.... (Review)
Review
Kidney diseases are worldwide public health problems affecting millions of people. However, there are still limited therapeutic options against kidney diseases. Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A) is a secreted and membrane-associated protein, which regulates diverse functions, including immune regulation, cell survival, migration and angiogenesis, thus involving in the several pathogeneses of diseases, including eyes and neurons, as well as kidneys. SEMA3A is expressed in podocytes and tubular cells in the normal adult kidney, and recent evidence has revealed that excess SEMA3A expression and the subsequent signaling pathway aggravate kidney injury in a variety of kidney diseases, including nephrotic syndrome, diabetic nephropathy, acute kidney injury, and chronic kidney disease. In addition, several reports have demonstrated that the inhibition of SEMA3A ameliorated kidney injury via a reduction in cell apoptosis, fibrosis and inflammation; thus, SEMA3A may be a potential therapeutic target for kidney diseases. In this review article, we summarized the current knowledge regarding the role of SEMA3A in kidney pathophysiology and their potential use in kidney diseases.
PubMed: 37835781
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13193038 -
Aging Jul 2023The decrease in the podocyte's lifespan and health-span that typify healthy kidney aging cause a decrease in their normal structure, physiology and function. The ability...
The decrease in the podocyte's lifespan and health-span that typify healthy kidney aging cause a decrease in their normal structure, physiology and function. The ability to halt and even reverse these changes becomes clinically relevant when disease is superimposed on an aged kidney. RNA-sequencing of podocytes from middle-aged mice showed an inflammatory phenotype with increases in the NLRP3 inflammasome, signaling for IL2/Stat5, IL6 and TNF, interferon gamma response, allograft rejection and complement, consistent with inflammaging. Furthermore, injury-induced NLRP3 signaling in podocytes was further augmented in aged mice compared to young ones. The NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL1β IL-18) was also increased in podocytes of middle-aged humans. Higher transcript expression for NLRP3 in human glomeruli was accompanied by reduced podocyte density and increased global glomerulosclerosis and glomerular volume. Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 with MCC950, or gene deletion, reduced podocyte senescence and the genes typifying aging in middle-aged mice, which was accompanied by an improved podocyte lifespan and health-span. Moreover, modeling the injury-dependent increase in NLRP3 signaling in human kidney organoids confirmed the anti-senescence effect of MC9950. Finally, NLRP3 also impacted liver aging. Together, these results suggest a critical role for the NLRP3 inflammasome in podocyte and liver aging.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Middle Aged; Podocytes; Inflammasomes; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Kidney Glomerulus; Aging
PubMed: 37487005
DOI: 10.18632/aging.204897 -
Renal Failure Dec 2023Hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) is one of the main types of secondary glomerular diseases, and podocyte injury is an important pathogenic...
INTRODUCTION
Hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) is one of the main types of secondary glomerular diseases, and podocyte injury is an important pathogenic mechanism of HBV-GN, participating in the occurrence and development of HBV-GN. However, the specific mechanism of podocyte injury remains to be studied.
METHODS
Human renal podocytes cultured were divided into six groups. The podocyte morphology was observed under a transmission electron microscope, and the expression of M-type phospholipase A receptor (M-PLAR) on the podocyte membrane was observed by indirect immunofluorescence staining under a fluorescence microscope. The pyroptosis rate and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of podocytes were assessed by FLICA/PI double staining and flow cytometry. Western blot (WB) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) were used to determine the expression of PLAR, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing card (ASC), caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18.
RESULTS
Hepatitis B virus X (HBx) transfected into human renal podocytes induced the overexpression of PLAR. Moreover, the overexpressed PLAR combined with secretory phospholipase A group IB (sPLA-IB) aggravated podocyte injury and increased the pyroptosis rate. In addition, the expression of ROS, the NLRP3 inflammasome and downstream inflammatory factors was increased. In contrast, after inhibiting the expression of PLAR and ROS, podocyte damage was alleviated, and the pyroptosis rate and the expression of genes related to the ROS-NLRP3 signaling pathway were decreased.
CONCLUSION
HBx-induced PLAR overexpression on the podocyte membrane can significantly upregulate the ROS-NLRP3 signaling pathway, thereby mediating podocyte pyroptosis.
Topics: Humans; Podocytes; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Pyroptosis; Reactive Oxygen Species; Signal Transduction; Phospholipases; Polyesters
PubMed: 36698326
DOI: 10.1080/0886022X.2023.2170808 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023The glomerular filtration barrier, comprising the inner layer of capillary fenestrated endothelial cells, outermost podocytes, and the glomerular basement membrane... (Review)
Review
The glomerular filtration barrier, comprising the inner layer of capillary fenestrated endothelial cells, outermost podocytes, and the glomerular basement membrane between them, plays a pivotal role in kidney function. Podocytes, terminally differentiated epithelial cells, are challenging to regenerate once injured. They are essential for maintaining the integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier. Damage to podocytes, resulting from intrinsic or extrinsic factors, leads to proteinuria in the early stages and eventually progresses to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Immune-mediated podocyte injury is a primary pathogenic mechanism in proteinuric glomerular diseases, including minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy, and lupus nephritis with podocyte involvement. An extensive body of evidence indicates that podocytes not only contribute significantly to the maintenance of the glomerular filtration barrier and serve as targets of immune responses but also exhibit immune cell-like characteristics, participating in both innate and adaptive immunity. They play a pivotal role in mediating glomerular injury and represent potential therapeutic targets for CKD. This review aims to systematically elucidate the mechanisms of podocyte immune injury in various podocyte lesions and provide an overview of recent advances in podocyte immunotherapy. It offers valuable insights for a deeper understanding of the role of podocytes in proteinuric glomerular diseases, and the identification of new therapeutic targets, and has significant implications for the future clinical diagnosis and treatment of podocyte-related disorders.
Topics: Humans; Podocytes; Endothelial Cells; Glomerular Basement Membrane; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Immunity
PubMed: 38288116
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1335936 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Nov 2023Podocyte injury is the common initiating event in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Oxidative stress and inflammation mediate podocyte injury in FSGS. NRF2...
Podocyte injury is the common initiating event in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Oxidative stress and inflammation mediate podocyte injury in FSGS. NRF2 pathway regulates the constitutive and inducible transcription of various genes that encode antioxidant proteins and anti-inflammatory proteins and have pivotal roles in the defense against cellular oxidative stress. In this study, we used adriamycin-induced nephropathy (ADR) in mice as a model of FSGS to confirm that CDDO-Me treatment ameliorated adriamycin-induced kidney damage by improving renal function and kidney histology. CDDO-Me inhibited the level of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in adriamycin-induced podocyte injury by activating NRF2 pathway in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, CDDO-Me stabled the cytoskeleton by regulating NRF2/srGAP2a pathway. Together, these findings show that by activating NRF2 pathway, CDDO-Me could be a therapeutic strategy to prevent the adverse effects of adriamycin-induced podocyte injury.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental; Doxorubicin; Podocytes; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Kidney Diseases; Actin Cytoskeleton; Oxidative Stress; Inflammation
PubMed: 37801905
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115617 -
Nature Communications Mar 2024The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is a highly adaptive process to meet metabolic demands of the cell, and its dysregulation has been associated with...
The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is a highly adaptive process to meet metabolic demands of the cell, and its dysregulation has been associated with diverse clinical pathologies. However, the role and nature of impaired ETC in kidney diseases remains poorly understood. Here, we generate diabetic mice with podocyte-specific overexpression of Ndufs4, an accessory subunit of mitochondrial complex I, as a model investigate the role of ETC integrity in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). We find that conditional male mice with genetic overexpression of Ndufs4 exhibit significant improvements in cristae morphology, mitochondrial dynamics, and albuminuria. By coupling proximity labeling with super-resolution imaging, we also identify the role of cristae shaping protein STOML2 in linking NDUFS4 with improved cristae morphology. Together, we provide the evidence on the central role of NDUFS4 as a regulator of cristae remodeling and mitochondrial function in kidney podocytes. We propose that targeting NDUFS4 represents a promising approach to slow the progression of DKD.
Topics: Male; Animals; Mice; Diabetic Nephropathies; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Mitochondrial Membranes; Kidney; Mitochondria; Electron Transport Complex I
PubMed: 38438382
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46366-w -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a kidney disorder secondary to diabetes and is one of the main diabetic microvascular complications. As the number of diabetic patients... (Review)
Review
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a kidney disorder secondary to diabetes and is one of the main diabetic microvascular complications. As the number of diabetic patients grows, DN has become the leading cause of chronic kidney disease in China. Unfortunately, no definitive cure currently exists for DN. Cornus officinalis (CO), frequently utilized in clinical settings for diabetes mellitus treatment, has proven vital in both preventing and treating DN. This article explores the pathogenesis of DN and how CO and its active compounds regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, exhibit anti-inflammatory properties, inhibit oxidative stress, regulate podocytes, and manage autophagy. The mechanism and role of and its active compounds in the treatment of DN are discussed.
PubMed: 37475719
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1207777 -
Kidney International Oct 2023This study tested if matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 promoted microvascular pathology that initiates hypertensive (HT) kidney disease in salt-sensitive (SS) Dahl rats....
This study tested if matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 promoted microvascular pathology that initiates hypertensive (HT) kidney disease in salt-sensitive (SS) Dahl rats. SS rats lacking Mmp9 (Mmp9) and littermate control SS rats were studied after one week on a normotensive 0.3% sodium chloride (Pre-HT SS and Pre-HT Mmp9) or a hypertension-inducing diet containing 4.0% sodium chloride (HT SS and HT Mmp9). Telemetry-monitored blood pressure of both the HT SS and HT Mmp9 rats increased and did not differ. Kidney microvessel transforming growth factor-beta 1 (Tgfb1) mRNA did not differ between Pre-HT SS and Pre-HT Mmp9 rats, but with hypertension and expression of Mmp9 and Tgfb1 increased in HT SS rats, along with phospho-Smad2 labeling of nuclei of vascular smooth muscle cells, and with peri-arteriolar fibronectin deposition. Loss of MMP-9 prevented hypertension-induced phenotypic transformation of microvascular smooth muscle cells and the expected increased microvascular expression of pro-inflammatory molecules. Loss of MMP-9 in vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro prevented cyclic strain-induced production of active TGF-β1 and phospho-Smad2/3 stimulation. Afferent arteriolar autoregulation was impaired in HT SS rats but not in HT Mmp9 rats or the HT SS rats treated with doxycycline, an MMP inhibitor. HT SS but not HT Mmp9 rats showed decreased glomerular Wilms Tumor 1 protein-positive cells (a marker of podocytes) along with increased urinary podocin and nephrin mRNA excretion, all indicative of glomerular damage. Thus, our findings support an active role for MMP-9 in a hypertension-induced kidney microvascular remodeling process that promotes glomerular epithelial cell injury in SS rats.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; Sodium Chloride; Rats, Inbred Dahl; Hypertension, Renal; Kidney; Hypertension; Blood Pressure; RNA, Messenger; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
PubMed: 37423509
DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2023.06.031 -
Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation :... Sep 2023This review summarizes the pathomorphological sequences of nephron loss in human diabetic nephropathy (DN). The relevant changes may be derived from two major... (Review)
Review
This review summarizes the pathomorphological sequences of nephron loss in human diabetic nephropathy (DN). The relevant changes may be derived from two major derangements. First, a failure in the turnover of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) based on an increased production of GBM components by podocytes and endothelial cells leading to the thickening of the GBM and accumulation of worn-out GBM in the mesangium. This failure may account for the direct pathway to glomerular compaction and sclerosis based on the continuous deposition of undegraded GBM material in the mesangium. Second, an increased leakiness together with an increased propensity of glomerular capillaries to proliferate leads to widespread plasma exudations. Detrimental are those that produce giant insudative spaces within Bowman's capsule, spreading around the entire glomerular circumference and along the glomerulo-tubular junction onto the tubule resulting in tubular obstruction and retroactively to glomerulosclerosis. Tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis develop secondarily by transfer of the glomerular damage onto the tubule. Interstitial fibrosis is locally initiated and apparently stimulated by degenerating tubular epithelia. This leads to a focal distribution of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy accompanied by a varying interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration. Spreading of fibrotic areas between intact nephrons, much less to the glomerulus, has not been encountered.
Topics: Humans; Diabetic Nephropathies; Endothelial Cells; Glomerular Basement Membrane; Fibrosis; Atrophy; Diabetes Mellitus
PubMed: 36918205
DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfad052 -
Aging Oct 2023Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a renal microvascular disease caused by hyperglycemia that involves metabolic remodeling, oxidative stress, inflammation, and other...
Analysis of potential biomarkers for diabetic kidney disease based on single-cell RNA-sequencing integrated with a single-cell sequencing assay for transposase-accessible chromatin.
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a renal microvascular disease caused by hyperglycemia that involves metabolic remodeling, oxidative stress, inflammation, and other factors. The mechanism is complex and not fully unraveled. We performed an integrated single-cell sequencing assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (scATAC-seq) and single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses of kidneys from db/db and db/m mice to identify differential open chromatin regions and gene expression, particularly in genes related to proximal tubular reabsorption and secretion. We identified 9,776 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 884 cell type-specific transcription factors (TFs) across 15 cell types. Glucose and lipid transporters, and TFs related to the circadian rhythm in the proximal tubules had significantly higher expression in db/db mice than in db/m mice (<0.01). Crosstalk between podocytes and tubular cells in the proximal tubules was enhanced, and renal inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis pathways were activated in db/db mice. Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining results showed that expression in the urine and kidneys of DKD patients was higher than that in non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD) controls. The revealed landscape of chromatin accessibility and transcriptional profiles in db/db mice provide insights into the pathological mechanism of DKD.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Diabetic Nephropathies; Chromatin; RNA; Kidney; Biomarkers; Inflammation; Diabetes Mellitus; WAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2
PubMed: 37827693
DOI: 10.18632/aging.205107