scholarly journals Chronic activation of AMP-activated protein kinase leads to early onset polycystic kidney phenotype

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Wilson ◽  
Alice Pollard ◽  
Lucy Penfold ◽  
Phillip Muckett ◽  
Chad Whilding ◽  
...  

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a key role in the cellular response to low energy stress and has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target for tackling metabolic diseases. Whilst significant progress has been made regarding the physiological role of AMPK, its function in the kidney remains only partially understood. We use a mouse model expressing a constitutively active mutant of AMPK to investigate the effect of AMPK activation on kidney function in vivo. Kidney morphology and changes in gene and protein expression were monitored and serum and urine markers were measured to assess kidney function in vivo. Global AMPK activation resulted in an early onset polycystic kidney phenotype, featuring collecting duct cysts and compromised renal function in adult mice. Mechanistically, the cystic kidneys had increased cAMP levels and ERK activation, increased hexokinase I expression, glycogen accumulation and altered expression of proteins associated with autophagy. Kidney tubule-specific activation of AMPK also resulted in a polycystic phenotype, demonstrating that renal tubular AMPK activation caused the cystogenesis. Importantly, human ADPKD kidney sections revealed similar protein localisation patterns to that observed in the murine cystic kidneys. Our findings show that early onset chronic AMPK activation leads to a polycystic kidney phenotype, suggesting dysregulated AMPK signalling is a contributing factor in cystogenesis.

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 480-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
Louise D McCullough

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a serine threonine kinase that is highly conserved through evolution. AMPK is found in most mammalian tissues including the brain. As a key metabolic and stress sensor/effector, AMPK is activated under conditions of nutrient deprivation, vigorous exercise, or heat shock. However, it is becoming increasingly recognized that changes in AMPK activation not only signal unmet metabolic needs, but also are involved in sensing and responding to ‘cell stress’, including ischemia. The downstream effect of AMPK activation is dependent on many factors, including the severity of the stressor as well as the tissue examined. This review discusses recent in vitro and in vivo studies performed in the brain/neuronal cells and vasculature that have contributed to our understanding of AMPK in stroke. Recent data on the potential role of AMPK in angiogenesis and neurogenesis and the interaction of AMPK with 3-hydroxy-3-methy-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) agents are highlighted. The interaction between AMPK and nitric oxide signaling is also discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 735-752
Author(s):  
Peifeng Qiao ◽  
Jingxi Ma ◽  
Yangyang Wang ◽  
Zhenting Huang ◽  
Qian Zou ◽  
...  

Background: Neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiological process of various neurodegenerative diseases. It is well known that curcumin has obvious anti-inflammatory effects in various neuroinflammation models. However, its effect on the modulation of microglial polarization is largely unknown. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether curcumin changed microglia to an anti-inflammatory M2-phenotype by activating the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. Methods: LPS treatment was used to establish BV2 cells and primary microglia neuroinflammation models. The neuroinflammation mouse model was established by an intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the lateral septal complex region of the brain. TNF-α was measured by ELISA, and cell viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). The expression of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines was examined by Q-PCR and Western blot analysis. Phenotypic polarization of BV2 microglia was detected by immunofluorescence. Results: Curcumin enhanced AMPK activation in BV2 microglial cells in the presence and absence of LPS. Upon LPS stimulation, the addition of curcumin promoted M2 polarization of BV2 cells, as evidenced by suppressed M1 and the elevated M2 signature protein and gene expression. The effects of curcumin were inhibited by an AMPK inhibitor or AMPK knockdown. Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ) and liver kinase B1 (LKB1) are upstream kinases that activate AMPK. Curcumin can activate AMPK in Hela cells, which do not express LKB1. However, both the CaMKKβ inhibitor and siRNA blocked curcumin activation of AMPK in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. Moreover, the CaMKKβ inhibitor and siRNA weaken the effect of curcumin suppression on M1 and enhancement of M2 protein and gene expression in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. Finally, curcumin enhanced AMPK activation in the brain area where microglia were over-activated upon LPS stimulation in an in vivo neuroinflammation model. Moreover, curcumin also suppressed M1 and promoted M2 signature protein and gene expression in this in vivo model. Conclusion: Curcumin enhances microglia M2 polarization via the CaMKKβ-dependent AMPK signaling pathway. Additionally, curcumin treatment was found to be neuroprotective and thus might be considered as a novel therapeutic agent to treat the neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer‘s disease, Parkinson's disease, etc.


Author(s):  
Sophie Lepropre ◽  
Marie-Blanche Onselaer ◽  
Cécile Oury ◽  
Luc Bertrand ◽  
Jean-Louis Vanoverschelde ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 403 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ho-Jin Koh ◽  
Michael F. Hirshman ◽  
Huamei He ◽  
Yangfeng Li ◽  
Yasuko Manabe ◽  
...  

Exercise increases AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) activity in human and rat adipocytes, but the underlying molecular mechanisms and functional consequences of this activation are not known. Since adrenaline (epinephrine) concentrations increase with exercise, in the present study we hypothesized that adrenaline activates AMPK in adipocytes. We show that a single bout of exercise increases AMPKα1 and α2 activities and ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) Ser79 phosphorylation in rat adipocytes. Similarly to exercise, adrenaline treatment in vivo increased AMPK activities and ACC phosphorylation. Pre-treatment of rats with the β-blocker propranolol fully blocked exercise-induced AMPK activation. Increased AMPK activity with exercise and adrenaline treatment in vivo was accompanied by an increased AMP/ATP ratio. Adrenaline incubation of isolated adipocytes also increased the AMP/ATP ratio and AMPK activities, an effect blocked by propranolol. Adrenaline incubation increased lipolysis in isolated adipocytes, and Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, attenuated this effect. Finally, a potential role for AMPK in the decreased adiposity associated with chronic exercise was suggested by marked increases in AMPKα1 and α2 activities in adipocytes from rats trained for 6 weeks. In conclusion, both acute and chronic exercise are significant regulators of AMPK activity in rat adipocytes. Our findings suggest that adrenaline plays a critical role in exercise-stimulated AMPKα1 and α2 activities in adipocytes, and that AMPK can function in the regulation of lipolysis.


2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (1) ◽  
pp. C126-C135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Zheng ◽  
Anjana Perianayagam ◽  
Donna H. Lee ◽  
M. Douglas Brannan ◽  
Li E. Yang ◽  
...  

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), activated by an increase in intracellular AMP-to-ATP ratio, stimulates pathways that can restore ATP levels. We tested the hypothesis that AMPK activation influences extracellular fluid (ECF) K+ homeostasis. In conscious rats, AMPK was activated with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR) infusion: 38.4 mg/kg bolus then 4 mg·kg−1·min−1 infusion. Plasma [K+] and [glucose] both dropped at 1 h of AICAR infusion and [K+] dropped to 3.3 ± 0.04 mM by 3 h, linearly related to the increase in muscle AMPK phosphorylation. AICAR treatment did not increase urinary K+ excretion. AICAR lowered [K+] whether plasma [K+] was chronically elevated or lowered. The K+ infusion rate needed to maintain baseline plasma [K+] reached 15.7 ± 1.3 μmol K+·kg−1·min−1 between 120 and 180 min AICAR infusion. In mice expressing a dominant inhibitory form of AMPK in the muscle (Tg-KD1), baseline [K+] was not different from controls (4.2 ± 0.1 mM), but the fall in plasma [K+] in response to AICAR (0.25 g/kg) was blunted: [K+] fell to 3.6 ± 0.1 in controls and to 3.9 ± 0.1 mM in Tg-KD1, suggesting that ECF K+ redistributes, at least in part, to muscle ICF. In summary, these findings illustrate that activation of AMPK activity with AICAR provokes a significant fall in plasma [K+] and suggest a novel mechanism for redistributing K+ from ECF to ICF.


2008 ◽  
Vol 283 (29) ◽  
pp. 20186-20197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyoung Chul Choi ◽  
Ping Song ◽  
Zhonglin Xie ◽  
Yong Wu ◽  
Jian Xu ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (44) ◽  
pp. 14878-14892
Author(s):  
Dong Young Kim ◽  
Mi Jin Choi ◽  
Tae Kyung Ko ◽  
Na Hyun Lee ◽  
Ok-Hee Kim ◽  
...  

Adipocyte browning appears to be a potential therapeutic strategy to combat obesity and related metabolic disorders. Recent studies have shown that apelin, an adipokine, stimulates adipocyte browning and has negative cross-talk with angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1 receptor) signaling. Here, we report that losartan, a selective AT1 receptor antagonist, induces browning, as evidenced by an increase in browning marker expression, mitochondrial biogenesis, and oxygen consumption in murine adipocytes. In parallel, losartan up-regulated apelin expression, concomitant with increased phosphorylation of protein kinase B and AMP-activated protein kinase. However, the siRNA-mediated knockdown of apelin expression attenuated losartan-induced browning. Angiotensin II cotreatment also inhibited losartan-induced browning, suggesting that AT1 receptor antagonism-induced activation of apelin signaling may be responsible for adipocyte browning induced by losartan. The in vivo browning effects of losartan were confirmed using both C57BL/6J and ob/ob mice. Furthermore, in vivo apelin knockdown by adeno-associated virus carrying–apelin shRNA significantly inhibited losartan-induced adipocyte browning. In summary, these data suggested that AT1 receptor antagonism by losartan promotes the browning of white adipocytes via the induction of apelin expression. Therefore, apelin modulation may be an effective strategy for the treatment of obesity and its related metabolic disorders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 294 (27) ◽  
pp. 10742-10742
Author(s):  
Hyoung Chul Choi ◽  
Ping Son ◽  
Zhonglin Xie ◽  
Yong Wu ◽  
Jian Xu ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document