Project description:AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to inhibit cardiac hypertrophy. Here, we show that submaximal AMPK activation blocks cardiomyocyte hypertrophy without affecting downstream targets previously suggested to be involved, such as p70 ribosomal S6 protein kinase, calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases. Instead, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is accompanied by increased protein O-GlcNAcylation, which is reversed by AMPK activation. Decreasing O-GlcNAcylation by inhibitors of the glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (GFAT), blocks cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, mimicking AMPK activation. Conversely, O-GlcNAcylation-inducing agents counteract the anti-hypertrophic effect of AMPK. In vivo, AMPK activation prevents myocardial hypertrophy and the concomitant rise of O-GlcNAcylation in wild-type but not in AMPKα2-deficient mice. Treatment of wild-type mice with O-GlcNAcylation-inducing agents reverses AMPK action. Finally, we demonstrate that AMPK inhibits O-GlcNAcylation by mainly controlling GFAT phosphorylation, thereby reducing O-GlcNAcylation of proteins such as troponin T. We conclude that AMPK activation prevents cardiac hypertrophy predominantly by inhibiting O-GlcNAcylation.
Project description:Oxidative stress can cause generation of uncontrolled reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lead to cytotoxic damage to cells and tissues. Recently, it has been shown that transient ROS generation can serve as a secondary messenger in receptor-mediated cell signaling. Although excessive levels of ROS are harmful, moderated levels of ROS are essential for normal physiological function. Therefore, regulating cellular ROS levels should be an important concept for development of novel therapeutics for treating diseases. The overexpression and hyperactivation of NADPH oxidase (Nox) can induce high levels of ROS, which are strongly associated with diabetic nephropathy. This review discusses the theoretical basis for development of the Nox inhibitor as a regulator of ROS homeostasis to provide emerging therapeutic opportunities for diabetic nephropathy.
Project description:Albuminuria is significantly reduced following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, suggesting a renoprotective effect of the intervention. Herein, we assess the relative impact of RYGB and RYGB equivalent non-surgical weight loss and glycaemic improvement on glomerular injury and global renal transcriptomic responses in the Zucker diabetic fatty rat (ZDF) model of diabetic nephropathy. We coined the term "medical bypass" (MB) to describe the intensive diet and pharmacotherapy based non-surgical intervention Adult ZDF rats underwent sham surgery (n=15) or RYGB (n=9). Nine sham-operated rats were calorie restricted and received insulin, liraglutide, metformin, ramipril, rosuvastatin and fenofibrate for 2 months (MB). Zucker fa/+ rats acted as healthy controls throughout. Bodyweight, glycaemia, albuminuria and glomerular injury specifically podocyte number, density and ultrastructure were assessed at follow up. Renal transcriptomes were compared by RNA-seq. RYGB resulted in 20-30% weight loss, normalized glycaemia and albuminuria and reduced indices of glomerular injury, specifically podocyte injury (foot process effacement). RYGB equivalent outcomes were obtained on all parameters following MB.
Project description:Aims/hypothesisThe aim of the study was to investigate the effects of genetic deficiency of aldose reductase in mice on the development of key endpoints of diabetic nephropathy.MethodsA line of Ar (also known as Akr1b3)-knockout (KO) mice, a line of Ar-bitransgenic mice and control C57BL/6 mice were used in the study. The KO and bitransgenic mice were deficient for Ar in the renal glomeruli and all other tissues, with the exception of, in the bitransgenic mice, a human AR cDNA knockin-transgene that directed collecting-tubule epithelial-cell-specific AR expression. Diabetes was induced in 8-week-old male mice with streptozotocin. Mice were further maintained for 17 weeks then killed. A number of serum and urinary variables were determined for these 25-week-old mice. Periodic acid-Schiff staining, western blots, immunohistochemistry and protein kinase C (PKC) activity assays were performed for histological analyses, and to determine the levels of collagen IV and TGF-β1 and PKC activities in renal cortical tissues.ResultsDiabetes-induced extracellular matrix accumulation and collagen IV overproduction were completely prevented in diabetic Ar-KO and bitransgenic mice. Ar deficiency also completely or partially prevented diabetes-induced activation of renal cortical PKC, TGF-β1 and glomerular hypertrophy. Loss of Ar results in a 43% reduction in urine albumin excretion in the diabetic Ar-KO mice and a 48% reduction in the diabetic bitransgenic mice (p < 0.01).Conclusions/interpretationGenetic deficiency of Ar significantly ameliorated development of key endpoints linked with early diabetic nephropathy in vivo. Robust and specific inhibition of aldose reductase might be an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of diabetic nephropathy.
Project description:BackgroundDiabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the major complications of diabetes, is characterized by albuminuria, glomerulosclerosis, and progressive loss of renal function. Loss of TIMP3, an Extracellular Matrix bound protein affecting both inflammation and fibrosis, is a hallmark of DN in human subjects and mouse models.MethodsThis study was designed to provide evidences that the modulation of the system involving TIMP3 and its target A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17), may rescue kidney pathology in diabetic mice. Mice with cell-targeted overexpression of TIMP3 in myeloid cells (MacT3), podocyte-specific ADAM17 knockout mice (∆PodA17), and DBA/2J mice, were rendered diabetic at 8 weeks of age with a low-dose streptozotocin protocol. DBA/2J mice were administered new peptides based on the human TIMP3 N-terminal domain, specifically conjugated with G3C12, a carrier peptide highly selective and efficient for transport to the kidney. Twelve weeks after Streptozotocin injections, 24-hour albuminuria was determined by ELISA, kidney morphometry was analyzed by periodic acid-shift staining, and Real Time-PCR and western blot analysis were performed on mRNA and protein extracted from kidney cortex.ResultsOur results showed that both genetic modifications and peptides treatment positively affect renal function and structure in diabetic mice, as indicated by a significant and consistent decline in albuminuria along with reduction in glomerular lesions, as indicated by reduced mesangial expansion and glomerular hypertrophy, decreased deposition of extracellular matrix in the mesangium, diminished protein expression of the NADPH oxidases 4 (NOX4), and the improvement of podocyte structural markers such as WT1, nephrin, and podocin. Moreover, the positive effects were exerted through a mechanism independent from glycemic control.ConclusionsIn diabetic mice the targeting of TIMP3 system improved kidney structure and function, representing a valid approach to develop new avenues to treat this severe complication of diabetes.
Project description:Gene expression profiling in glomeruli from human kidneys with diabetic nephropathy Keywords = Diabetes Keywords = kidney Keywords = glomeruli Keywords: other
Project description:We report results from renal cortical transcriptomic analysis of responses to RYGB surgery alone and the combination of RYGB surgery and medical therapy in the Zucker Diabetic Sprague Dawley (ZDSD) rat model of diabetic kidney disease.
Project description:Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes and an important cause of end-stage renal disease. Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the development of DN. In a preliminary study, high levels of miR-150-5p were detected in the serum and urine of patients with DN. Consequently, we investigated the effect and mechanism of action of miR-150-5p in DN in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that inhibition of miR-150-5p reversed high glucose-induced podocyte injury and Streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy in mice. Further analysis revealed that miR-150-5p targeted the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), consequently decreasing SIRT1 levels in podocytes. Importantly, we found that the silencing of miR-150-5p promoted the interaction between SIRT1 and p53, causing the suppression of p53 acetylation in podocytes and kidney tissue. This resulted in the stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent autophagy. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the silencing of miR-150-5p played a reno-protective role in DN mice through targeting SIRT1.
Project description:Chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a tremendous and growing burden on the healthcare system and new therapies are needed to prevent or slow disease progression. Metabolic dysregulation and mitochondrial dysfunction are important features of acute and chronic tissue injury across species, and human genetics and preclinical data suggest that the master metabolic regulator 5'-adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) may be an effective therapeutic target for CKD. Merck has recently disclosed a pan-AMPK activator MK-8722 which was shown to have beneficial effects on metabolic parameters in preclinical models. In this study we investigate the effects of MK-8722 in a progressive model of diabetic nephropathy to determine whether activation of AMPK would be of therapeutic benefit. We find that MK-8722 administration in a therapeutic paradigm is profoundly reno-protective. We provide evidence that the therapeutic effects may be mediated by modulation of renal mitochondrial quality control as well as by attenuating fibrotic and lipotoxic mechanisms in kidney cells. These data further validate the concept that targeting metabolic dysregulation in CKD could be a potential therapeutic approach.