scholarly journals Targeting the KEAP1-NRF2 System to Prevent Kidney Disease Progression

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 473-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Nezu ◽  
Norio Suzuki ◽  
Masayuki Yamamoto

Background: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a critical transcription factor for the antioxidative stress response and it activates a variety of cytoprotective genes related to redox and detoxification. NRF2 activity is regulated by the oxidative-stress sensor molecule Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) that induces proteasomal degradation of NRF2 through ubiquitinating NRF2 under unstressed conditions. Because oxidative stress is a major pathogenic and aggravating factor for kidney diseases, the KEAP1-NRF2 system has been proposed to be a therapeutic target for renal protection. Summary: Oxidative-stress molecules, such as reactive oxygen species, accumulate in the kidneys of animal models for acute kidney injury (AKI), in which NRF2 is transiently and slightly activated. Genetic or pharmacological enhancement of NRF2 activity in the renal tubules significantly ameliorates damage related to AKI and prevents AKI progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD) by reducing oxidative stress. These beneficial effects of NRF2 activation highlight the KEAP1-NRF2 system as an important target for kidney disease treatment. However, a phase-3 clinical trial of a KEAP1 inhibitor for patients with stage 4 CKD and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was terminated due to the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Because recent basic studies have accumulated positive effects of KEAP1 inhibitors in moderate stages of CKD, phase-2 trials have been restarted. The data from the ongoing projects demonstrate that a KEAP1 inhibitor improves the glomerular filtration rate in patients with stage 3 CKD and T2DM without safety concerns. Key Message: The KEAP1-NRF2 system is one of the most promising therapeutic targets for kidney disease, and KEAP1 inhibitors could be part of critical therapies for kidney disease.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Can Jin ◽  
Peipei Wu ◽  
Linli Li ◽  
Wenrong Xu ◽  
Hui Qian

Exosomes are nanometer-sized small EVs coated with bilayer structure, which are released by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Exosomes are rich in a variety of biologically active substances, such as proteins, nucleotides, and lipids. Exosomes are widely present in various body fluids and cell culture supernatants, and it mediates the physiological and pathological processes of the body through the shuttle of these active ingredients to target cells. In recent years, studies have shown that exosomes from a variety of cell sources can play a beneficial role in acute and chronic kidney disease. In particular, exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells have significant curative effects on the prevention and treatment of kidney disease in preclinical trials. Besides, some encapsulated substances are demonstrated to exert beneficial effects on various diseases, so they have attracted much attention. In addition, exosomes have extensive sources, stable biological activity, and good biocompatibility and are easy to store and transport; these advantages endow exosomes with superior diagnostic value. With the rapid development of liquid biopsy technology related to exosomes, the application of exosomes in the rapid diagnosis of kidney disease has become more prominent. In this review, the latest development of exosomes, including the biosynthesis process, the isolation and identification methods of exosomes are systematically summarized. The utilization of exosomes in diagnosis and their positive effects in the repair of kidney dysfunction are discussed, along with the specific mechanisms. This review is expected to be helpful for relevant studies and to provide insight into future applications in clinical practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Si Shi ◽  
Shaoqing Lei ◽  
Chaoliang Tang ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Zhongyuan Xia

AbstractBackground and aims: Diabetic kidney is more sensitive to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, which is associated with increased oxidative stress and impaired nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling. Melatonin, a hormone that is secreted with the rhythm of the light/dark cycle, has antioxidative effects in reducing acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the molecular mechanism of melatonin protection against kidney I/R injury in the state of diabetes is still unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that melatonin attenuates renal I/R injury in diabetes by activating silent information regulator 2 associated protein 1 (SIRT1) expression and Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. Methods: Control or streptozotocin (STZ)-induced Type 1 diabetic rats were treated with or without melatonin for 4 weeks. Renal I/R injury was achieved by clamping both left and right renal pedicles for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 48 h. Results: Diabetic rats that were treated with melatonin undergoing I/R injury prevented renal injury from I/R, in aspects of the histopathological score, cell apoptosis, and oxidative stress in kidney, accompanied with decreased expressions of SIRT1, Nrf2, and HO-1 as compared with those in control rats. All these alterations were attenuated or prevented by melatonin treatment; but these beneficial effects of melatonin were abolished by selective inhibition of SIRT1 with EX527. Conclusion: These findings suggest melatonin could attenuate renal I/R injury in diabetes, possibly through improving SIRT1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 258
Author(s):  
Md Jamal Uddin ◽  
Ee Hyun Kim ◽  
Md. Abdul Hannan ◽  
Hunjoo Ha

The global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) intertwined with cardiovascular disease has become a major health problem. Oxidative stress (OS) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of CKD. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant responsive element (ARE) antioxidant system plays a critical role in kidney protection by regulating antioxidants during OS. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), one of the targets of Nrf2-ARE, plays an important role in regulating OS and is protective in a variety of human and animal models of kidney disease. Thus, activation of Nrf2-HO-1 signaling may offer a potential approach to the design of novel therapeutic agents for kidney diseases. In this review, we have discussed the association between OS and the pathogenesis of CKD. We propose Nrf2-HO-1 signaling-mediated cell survival systems be explored as pharmacological targets for the treatment of CKD and have reviewed the literature on the beneficial effects of small molecule natural products that may provide protection against CKD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7642
Author(s):  
Zoran V. Popovic ◽  
Felix Bestvater ◽  
Damir Krunic ◽  
Bernhard K. Krämer ◽  
Raoul Bergner ◽  
...  

The CD73 pathway is an important anti-inflammatory mechanism in various disease settings. Observations in mouse models suggested that CD73 might have a protective role in kidney damage; however, no direct evidence of its role in human kidney disease has been described to date. Here, we hypothesized that podocyte injury in human kidney diseases alters CD73 expression that may facilitate the diagnosis of podocytopathies. We assessed the expression of CD73 and one of its functionally important targets, the C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), in podocytes from kidney biopsies of 39 patients with podocytopathy (including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), minimal change disease (MCD), membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) and amyloidosis) and a control group. Podocyte CD73 expression in each of the disease groups was significantly increased in comparison to controls (p < 0.001–p < 0.0001). Moreover, there was a marked negative correlation between CD73 and CCR2 expression, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence (Pearson r = −0.5068, p = 0.0031; Pearson r = −0.4705, p = 0.0313, respectively), thus suggesting a protective role of CD73 in kidney injury. Finally, we identify CD73 as a novel potential diagnostic marker of human podocytopathies, particularly of MCD that has been notorious for the lack of pathological features recognizable by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry.


Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Melania Guerrero-Hue ◽  
Sandra Rayego-Mateos ◽  
Cristina Vázquez-Carballo ◽  
Alejandra Palomino-Antolín ◽  
Cristina García-Caballero ◽  
...  

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the fastest-growing causes of death and is predicted to become by 2040 the fifth global cause of death. CKD is characterized by increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. However, therapies to slow or prevent CKD progression remain an unmet need. Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in protection against oxidative stress and regulation of the inflammatory response. Consequently, the use of compounds targeting Nrf2 has generated growing interest for nephrologists. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that Nrf2-inducing strategies prevent CKD progression and protect from acute kidney injury (AKI). In this article, we review current knowledge on the protective mechanisms mediated by Nrf2 against kidney injury, novel therapeutic strategies to induce Nrf2 activation, and the status of ongoing clinical trials targeting Nrf2 in renal diseases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 841-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hang Sun ◽  
Huihai Yang ◽  
Haonan Ruan ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Xinhong He ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck) antler is traditional animal medicine of renal protection in East Asia. This study measured the effect of sika deer antler protein (SDAPR) on gentamicin (GM)-induced cytotoxicity in HEK293 cells, and investigated the effect of SDAPR against GM-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. Methods: HEK293 cells viability and oxidative stress were measured in HEK293 cells while flow cytometry was used for apoptosis analysis. The acute kidney injury biomarkers, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin c (Cys-C), were repeatedly measured by ELISA assay. ICR male mice were randomly assigned six groups: Control, GM with vehicle, single SDAPR, GM with SDAPR at three concentrations 50, 100, 200 mg/kg/d, p.o., 10 d. GM was injected for 8 consecutive days (100 mg/kg/d, i.p.). Renal function, oxidative stress and levels of inflammatory factors were measured in vivo. Renal tissues were stained with H&E to observe pathological changes. Results: Pretreatment with SDAPR (0.5-4.0 mg/mL) significantly improved cell viability. Treatment with SDAPR could reduce KIM-1, NGAL and Cys-C activity. SDAPR could improve antioxidant defense and attenuated apoptosis on HEK293 cells. SDAPR also ameliorated GM-induced histopathologic changes, and decreased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr). Additionally, SDAPR significantly regulated oxidative stress marker and interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: These results show that SDAPR could be an effective dietary supplement to relieve GM-induced nephrotoxicity by improved antioxidase activity, suppressed inflammation, and inhibited apoptosis in vitro and vivo.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10822
Author(s):  
Agata Winiarska ◽  
Monika Knysak ◽  
Katarzyna Nabrdalik ◽  
Janusz Gumprecht ◽  
Tomasz Stompór

The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been increasing worldwide, and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains one of the leading long-term complications of T2D. Several lines of evidence indicate that glucose-lowering agents prevent the onset and progression of DKD in its early stages but are of limited efficacy in later stages of DKD. However, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) antagonists were shown to exert nephroprotective effects in patients with established DKD, i.e., those who had a reduced glomerular filtration rate. These effects cannot be solely attributed to the improved metabolic control of diabetes. In our review, we attempted to discuss the interactions of both groups of agents with inflammation and oxidative stress—the key pathways contributing to organ damage in the course of diabetes. SGLT2i and GLP-1R antagonists attenuate inflammation and oxidative stress in experimental in vitro and in vivo models of DKD in several ways. In addition, we have described experiments showing the same protective mechanisms as found in DKD in non-diabetic kidney injury models as well as in some tissues and organs other than the kidney. The interaction between both drug groups, inflammation and oxidative stress appears to have a universal mechanism of organ protection in diabetes and other diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianwen Yu ◽  
Danli Xie ◽  
Naya Huang ◽  
Qin Zhou

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel type of non-coding RNAs that have aroused growing attention in this decade. They are widely expressed in eukaryotes and generally have high stability owing to their special closed-loop structure. Many circRNAs are abundant, evolutionarily conserved, and exhibit cell-type-specific and tissue-specific expression patterns. Mounting evidence suggests that circRNAs have regulatory potency for gene expression by acting as microRNA sponges, interacting with proteins, regulating transcription, or directly undergoing translation. Dysregulated expression of circRNAs were found in many pathological conditions and contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of various disorders, including renal diseases. Recent studies have revealed that circRNAs may serve as novel reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of multiple kidney diseases, such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC), acute kidney injury (AKI), diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and other glomerular diseases. Furthermore, circRNAs expressed by intrinsic kidney cells are shown to play a substantial role in kidney injury, mostly reported in DKD and RCC. Herein, we review the biogenesis and biological functions of circRNAs, and summarize their roles as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in common kidney diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-167
Author(s):  
S. G. Shulkina ◽  
D. O. Sirin ◽  
E. N. Smirnova ◽  
V. G. Zhelobov ◽  
N. Yu. Kolomeets ◽  
...  

Hyperparathyroidism is an endocrine disease characterized by excessive production of parathyroid hormone in the main cells of the parathyroid glands. Depending on the cause of this disease, there are primary, secondary (SHPT) and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. The most common causes of SHPT are vitamin D deficiency and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Vitamin D is converted to its active form by hydroxylation in the renal tubules. Developmental abnormalities and chronic kidney diseases lead to atrophy of the tubular epithelial cells that causes a violation of vitamin D metabolism and the development of SHPT, which in turn are accompanied by a violation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism and a syndrome of musculoskeletal disorders. This article presents an analysis of a clinical case of a patient diagnosed secondary hyperparathyroidism against the background of vitamin D deficiency combined with polycystic kidney disease. This clinical case reflects the complexity of the differential diagnosis of the disease and the tactics of patient's management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Zi-Huan Zhang ◽  
Jia-Qiang Liu ◽  
Cheng-Di Hu ◽  
Xin-Tong Zhao ◽  
Fei-Yun Qin ◽  
...  

Luteolin (LUT) possesses multiple biologic functions and has beneficial effects for cardiovascular and cerebral vascular diseases. Here, we investigated the protective effects of LUT against subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and the involvement of underlying molecular mechanisms. In a rat model of SAH, LUT significantly inhibited SAH-induced neuroinflammation as evidenced by reduced microglia activation, decreased neutrophil infiltration, and suppressed proinflammatory cytokine release. In addition, LUT markedly ameliorated SAH-induced oxidative damage and restored the endogenous antioxidant systems. Concomitant with the suppressed oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, LUT significantly improved neurologic function and reduced neuronal cell death after SAH. Mechanistically, LUT treatment significantly enhanced the expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), while it downregulated nod-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. Inhibition of Nrf2 by ML385 dramatically abrogated LUT-induced Nrf2 activation and NLRP3 suppression and reversed the beneficial effects of LUT against SAH. In neurons and microglia coculture system, LUT also mitigated oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and neuronal degeneration. These beneficial effects were associated with activation of the Nrf2 and inhibitory effects on NLRP3 inflammasome and were reversed by ML385 treatment. Taken together, this present study reveals that LUT confers protection against SAH by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway, which may be modulated by Nrf2 activation.


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