ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
·
2023
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IF 4.5
Yujing Wang,Min Xiao,Feng Cai,Yang Li,Tianli Shi,Xiaoyan Zhou,Shuhong Tian,Denggao Huang
Vascular calcification (VC) is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). VC is a gene-regulated process similar to osteogenic differentiation. There are still no convincing schemes to prevent and reduce the development of VC. It has been reported that hypoxia-inducing factor 1α (HIF-1α) and endothelin-1(ET-1) are related to VC. In this study, we found that the expression of ET-1 and HIF-1α was enhanced after VC, the interaction between HIF-1α and ET-1 was confirmed by CO-IP and luciferase experiments. We found that ET-1 was an upregulated differential gene of calcified vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) through gene sequencing. However, hypoxia-inducing factor 2α (HIF-2α) and HIF-1α have antagonistic effects on each other. HIF-1α is a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and HIF-2α can improve inflammation and fibrosis. Roxadustat, as a selective PHD3 inhibitor, preferentially activates HIF-2α. It is still unclear whether roxadustat improves VC in CKD by regulating the expression of HIF-2α/HIF-1α. Alizarin red staining and western blot as well as immunohistochemical results showed that roxadustat could significantly reduce the degree of vascular and VSMCs calcification in CKD rats. Serum HIF-1α and ET-1 were significantly decreased after roxadustat treatment. In addition, western blot results showed that roxadustat could decrease the expression of HIF-1α and ET-1 in vascular tissues and calcified VSMC, but HIF-2α expression significantly increased. Interestingly, our study confirmed that activation of HIF-1α or inhibition of HIF-2α reversed the ameliorating effect of roxadustat on VC, proving that the effect mediated by roxadustat is HIF-2α/HIF-1α dependent. We have demonstrated for the first time that roxadustat improves VC in CKD rats by regulating HIF-2α/HIF-1α, thus providing a new idea for the application of roxadustat in VC of CKD.
研究领域:
药理学
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肾病学
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分子生物学
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PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
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2026
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IF 5.6
Chengsi Li,Jing Li,Chengyingjie Yang,Zhenghao Zhu,Yachen Zhang,Yin Xiang
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition characterized by progressive loss of kidney function. Vascular calcification is not only a common late-stage complication of CKD but also serves as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality in CKD patients. This study investigates the mechanism by which vericiguat (VER), a soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) sensitizer, attenuates CKD-associated vascular calcification. The hypothesis that vericiguat alleviates the decrease of sGC activity mediated by calcium and phosphorus metabolism was verified in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. The calcium levels were increased in the aorta of CKD rats and VSMCs in vitro, and the expression of osteogenic differentiation-related markers, eNOS and PKG was upregulated. Nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels were downregulated, while VER significantly improved calcification by activating the NO/cGMP/PKG pathway. Meanwhile, L-NAME antagonized the positive effects of VER in either CKD rats or calcified VSMCs.
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高影响因子
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
·
2025
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IF 4.7
Yanmin Zhang,Jianqiang Hu,Yan Zhang,Xiaolin Yang,Weihua Tong,Xinxin Ci
Background The transition from acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant cause of kidney failure. Although the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has been demonstrated to inhibit ferroptosis and alleviate cisplatin-induced AKI, the specific roles of Nrf2 and the alkaloid leonurine in modulating the AKI-CKD transition remain incompletely elucidated. Methods Murine and human proximal tubular epithelial cell models of the AKI-CKD transition were established using repeated low-dose cisplatin (RLDC) to investigate the roles of Nrf2 and leonurine in ferroptosis regulation and disease progression. Key results In mice, RLDC administration induced persistent tubular injury, ferroptosis, and progressive renal fibrosis. In HK-2 cells, RLDC triggered oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Although Nrf2 expression was transiently upregulated during the acute phase (4 weeks post-RLDC), it was downregulated by the chronic phase (8 weeks post-RLDC), correlating with impaired antioxidant capacity and exacerbated ferroptosis. Nrf2 knockout mice exhibited more severe oxidative damage, ferroptosis, and renal dysfunction following RLDC challenge. Pharmacological activation of Nrf2 by leonurine attenuated oxidative injury and ferroptosis and promoted tubular repair. Leonurine also suppressed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and aberrant extracellular matrix deposition, ultimately mitigating renal fibrosis. The protective effects of leonurine were abolished in Nrf2 knockout mice. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that Nrf2 activation mitigates cisplatin-induced AKI-CKD transition by counteracting oxidative stress and ferroptosis, thereby attenuating renal fibrosis. Leonurine, as a potent Nrf2 activator, represents a promising therapeutic agent for preventing AKI-CKD transition.
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高影响因子
Materials Today Bio
·
2026
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IF 11
Ke Wang,Xing-chun Zhu,Yi Xia,Yan Yan,Jun-jie Ma,Jing-yi Xia,Yuan Xu,Meng-han He,Feng-le Guo,Wen-rui Wang,Li Ren,Cong-li Zhang
Acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) is an independent risk factor for the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet there is a lack of effective clinical interventions. Although butylphthalide (NBP) has been proven to have multi-organ protective potential, its rapid in vivo metabolism and low bioavailability limit its clinical application. To overcome these limitations, we rationally designed and synthesized a layered double hydroxide (LDHs)-based nanocarrier system for NBP delivery (LDHs@NBP) via hydrothermal co-precipitation. Comprehensive characterization confirmed successful nanocomplex formation. Critically, LDHs@NBP exhibited accelerated NBP release under mildly acidic conditions, matching the pathological acidosis of injured and fibrotic renal tubules—thereby achieving pH-responsive drug release. Using both an in vivo rat model of unilateral renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (uIRI) and an in vitro TGF-β1-stimulated HK-2 cell model, we demonstrated that LDHs@NBP significantly attenuated renal dysfunction, suppressed interstitial fibrosis, and improved mitochondrial function. Importantly, all protective effects were abolished upon co-treatment with Mdivi-1, confirming mitophagy as the central mechanistic axis. Collectively, this study successfully constructed LDHs@NBP nanocomplexes with pH-responsive drug release properties. This system enhances mitophagy by activating the PINK1-Parkin pathway, thereby effectively blocking AKI-CKD transition. It provides a new strategy with good translational prospects for clinical intervention in kidney diseases.
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高影响因子
PLoS One
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2026
·Vol. 21
·期 6
·e0351630
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IF 2.8
Jiaxin Peng,Jing Chen,Zhipu Qian,Mingzhang Han,Ling Chen
This study investigates the role and mechanism of ergothioneine (EGT) in mitigating the progression of acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Using a cisplatin-induced mouse model of the AKI-to-CKD transition with EGT intervention, we combined histopathological examination, biochemical assays, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to provide evidence that EGT may improve renal function parameters and attenuate renal injury and fibrosis. scRNA-seq analysis revealed that EGT was associated with partial normalization of mitochondria-related gene expression in renal tubular epithelial cells, accompanied by enrichment of oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport chain pathways. Furthermore, our in vitro experiments supported a protective association of EGT with mitochondrial injury-related phenotypes in injured renal tubular epithelial cells, as indicated by reduced reactive oxygen species generation, partial preservation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased cellular ATP levels. These findings suggest that EGT may attenuate AKI-to-CKD progression in association with improved mitochondrial homeostasis, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for kidney diseases.
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高影响因子
ADVANCED MATERIALS
·
2024
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IF 27.4
Ying Kong,Xu Chen,Feng Liu,Jiageng Tang,Yijing Zhang,Xiangxiang Zhang,Luyao Zhang,Tong Zhang,Yaqi Wang,Mengxiao Su,Qixin Zhang,Hanxiang Chen,Di Zhou,Fan Yi,Hong Liu,Yi Fu
As a central metabolic molecule, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) can potentially treat acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, its bioavailability is poor due to short half-life, instability, the deficiency of targeting, and difficulties in transmembrane transport. Here we designed a physiologically adaptive gallic acid-NAD + nanoparticle, that had ultrasmall size and pH-responsiveness, passed through the glomerular filtration membrane to reach injured renal tubules, and efficiently delivered NAD + into the kidneys. With an effective accumulation in the kidneys, it restored renal function, immune microenvironment homeostasis, and mitochondrial homeostasis of AKI mice via the NAD + -Sirt1 axis, and exerted strong antifibrotic effects on the AKI-to-CKD transition by inhibiting TGF-β signaling. It also exhibited excellent stability, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties, ensuring its long-term safety, practicality, and clinical translational feasibility. The present study shows a potential modality of mitochondrial repair and immunomodulation through nanoagents for the efficient and safe treatment of AKI and CKD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
研究领域:
肾病学
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药学
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生物医学工程
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
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2023
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IF 5.8
Shuanghui Lu,Xiu Chen,Yujia Chen,Yingqiong Zhang,Jun Luo,Huidi Jiang,Luo Fang,Hui Zhou
Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of renal tubular cells promotes renal fibrosis and the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). PDZ domain-containing 1 (PDZK1) is highly expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells; however, its role in TGF-β1-induced EMT remains poorly understood. The present study showed that PDZK1 expression was extremely downregulated in fibrotic mouse kidneys and its negative correlation with TGF-β1 expression and the degree of renal fibrosis. In addition, TGF-β1 downregulated the mRNA expression of PDZK1 in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in vitro . The downregulation of PDZK1 exacerbated TGF-β1-induced EMT upon oxidative stress, while the overexpression of PDZK1 had the converse effect. Subsequent investigations demonstrated that TGF-β1 downregulated PDZK1 expression via p38 MAPK or PI3K/AKT signaling in vitro , but independently of ERK/JNK MAPK signaling. Meanwhile, inhibition of the p38/JNK MAPK or PI3K/AKT signaling using chemical inhibitors restored the PDZK1 expression, mitigated renal fibrosis, and elevated renal levels of endogenous antioxidants carnitine and ergothioneine in adenine-induced CKD mice. These findings provide the first evidence suggesting a negative correlation between PDZK1 and renal fibrosis, and identifying PDZK1 as a novel suppressor of renal fibrosis in CKD through ameliorating oxidant stress.
研究领域:
肾病学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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PubMed
高影响因子
Cell Death Discovery
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2022
·Vol. 8
·期 1
·1-10
·
IF 7.109
Wang Jingyu,Wang Yaqing,Liu Yi,Cai Xintian,Huang Xin,Fu Wenjing,Wang Lei,Qiu Lihua,Li Junying,Sun Li
Ferroptosis is a non-traditional form of regulated cell death, characterized by iron overload and lipid peroxidation. Exploration of ferroptosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been extremely limited to date. In this study, we established a rat model of CKD by 5/6 nephrectomy, treated CKD rats with the ferroptosis inducer, cisplatin (CDDP), and the ferroptosis inhibitor, deferoxamine mesylate (DFO), and observed the resulting pathologic changes (injury markers and fibrosis) and ferroptotic biochemical indices. Kidney iron deposition, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial defects, ferroptosis marker induction, and TUNEL staining positivity were detected in CKD group rats. Further, treatment with CDDP or DFO influenced renal injury and fibrosis by affecting ferroptosis, rather than apoptosis, and ferroptosis occurs in the remnant kidney due to disordered iron metabolism. In conclusion, our study shows for the first time that 5/6 nephrectomy induces ferroptosis in the remnant kidney and clarifies the underlying pathogenesis. Moreover, we demonstrate that ferroptosis is involved in CKD progression and represents a therapeutic target in chronic kidney injury and renal fibrosis.
研究领域:
肾病学
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细胞生物学
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药理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Theranostics
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2023
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IF 12.4
Mingrui Xiong,Hong Chen,Yu Fan,Muchuan Jin,Dong Yang,Yuchen Chen,Yu Zhang,Robert B. Petersen,Hua Su,Anlin Peng,Congyi Wang,Ling Zheng,Kun Huang
Rationale: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Post-ischemic recovery of renal blood supply plays an important role in attenuating injury. Exogenous application of elabela (ELA) peptides has been demonstrated by us and others to alleviate AKI, partly through its receptor APJ. However, the endogenous role of ELA in renal I/R remains unclear. Methods: Renal tubule specific ELA knockout ( Apela Ksp KO) mice challenged with bilateral or unilateral I/R were used to investigate the role of endogenous ELA in renal I/R. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to unbiasedly investigate altered genes in kidneys of Apela Ksp KO mice. Injured mice were treated with ELA32 peptide, Nω-hydroxy-nor-L-arginine (nor-NOHA), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), Paricalcitol, ML221 or respective vehicles, individually or in combination. Results: ELA is mostly expressed in renal tubules. Aggravated pathological injury and further reduction of renal microvascular blood flow were observed in Apela Ksp KO mice during AKI and the following transition to chronic kidney disease (AKI-CKD). RNA-seq analysis suggested that two blood flow regulators, arginine metabolizing enzyme arginase 2 (ARG2) and PGE2 metabolizing enzyme carbonyl reductases 1 and 3 (CBR1/3), were altered in injured Apela Ksp KO mice. Notably, combination application of an ARG2 inhibitor nor-NOHA, and Paricalcitol, a clinically used activator for PGE2 synthesis, alleviated injury-induced AKI/AKI-CKD stages and eliminated the worst outcomes observed in Apela Ksp KO mice. Moreover, while the APJ inhibitor ML221 blocked the beneficial effects of ELA32 peptide on AKI, it showed no effect on combination treatment of nor-NOHA and Paricalcitol. Conclusions: An endogenous tubular ELA-APJ axis regulates renal microvascular blood flow that plays a pivotal role in I/R-induced AKI. Furthermore, improving renal blood flow by inhibiting ARG2 and activating PGE2 is an effective treatment for AKI and prevents the subsequent AKI-CKD transition.
研究领域:
肾病学
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药理学
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分子生物学
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PubMed
高影响因子
Translational Research
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2024
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IF 6.4
Shan-Shan Li,Qiao-Juan Liu,Jia-Xin Bao,Meng-ting Lu,Bing-Quan Deng,Wen-Wen Li,Chang-Chun Cao
Peptide drug discovery for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has attracted much attention in recent years due to the urge to find novel drugs and mechanisms to delay the progression of the disease. In this study, we identified a novel short peptide (named YR-7, primary sequence ‘YEVEDYR’) from the natural Fibroin protein, and demonstrated that it significantly alleviated pathological renal changes in ADR-induced nephropathy. PANX1 was identified as the most notably upregulated component by RNA-sequencing. Further analysis showed that YR-7 alleviated the accumulation of lipid droplets via regulation of the lipid metabolism-related proteins PPAR α and PANK1. Using chemical proteomics, fluorescence polarization, microscale thermophoresis, surface plasmon resonance, and molecular docking, YR-7 was proven to directly bind to β-barrel domains of TGM2 protein to inhibit lipid accumulation. TGM2 knockdown in vivo increased the protein levels of PPAR α and PANK1 while decreased the levels of fibrotic-related proteins to alleviate nephropathy. In vitro , overexpression TGM2 reversed the protective effects of YR-7. Co-immunoprecipitation indicated that TGM2 interacted with PANX1 to promote lipid deposition, and pharmacological inhibition or knockdown of PANX1 decreased the levels of PPAR α and PANK1 induced by ADR. Taken together, our findings revealed that TGM2-PANX1 interaction in promoting lipid deposition may be a new signaling in promoting ADR-induced nephropathy. And a novel natural peptide could ameliorate renal fibrosis through TGM2-PANX1-PPAR α/PANK1 pathway, which highlight the potential of it in the treatment of CKD.
研究领域:
药理学
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肾病学
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分子生物学
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药物发现
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高影响因子
JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY
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2021
·Vol. 73
·期 4
·535-544
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IF 3.765
Yang Zemin,Lin Yanke,Su Chong,Wang Shuai,Gao Lu,Lin Jingpan,Wang Zhigang,Wu Baojian
ObjectivesIdentifying drugs with time-varying efficacy or toxicity, and understanding the underlying mechanisms would help to improve treatment efficacy and reduce adverse effects. In this study, we uncovered that the therapeutic effect of Fuzi (the lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux) depended on the dosing time in mice with adenine-induced chronic kidney disease (CKD).MethodsThe Fuzi efficacy was determined by biomarker measurements [i.e. plasma creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG)], as well as inflammation, fibrosis and histological analyses. Circadian regulation of Fuzi pharmacokinetics and efficacy was evaluated using brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 (Bmal1)-deficient (Bmal1−/−) mice.Key findingsThe Fuzi efficacy was higher when the drug was dosed at ZT10 and was lower when the drug was dosed at other times (ZT2, ZT6, ZT14, ZT18 and ZT22) according to measurements of plasma CRE, BUN and urinary NAG. Consistently, ZT10 (5 PM) dosing showed a stronger protective effect on the kidney (i.e. less extensive tubular injury) as compared to ZT22 (5 AM) dosing. This was supported by lower levels of inflammatory and fibrotic factors (IL-1β, IL-6, Tnf-α, Ccl2, Tgfb1 and Col1a1) at ZT10 than at ZT22. Pharmacokinetic analyses showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values (reflective of systemic exposure) and renal distribution of aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine (three putative active constituents) for Fuzi dosing at ZT10 were significantly higher than those for herb dosing at ZT22, suggesting a role of circadian pharmacokinetics in Fuzi chronoefficacy. Drug efficacy studies confirmed that aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine possessed a kidney-protecting effect. In addition, genetic knockout of Bmal1 in mice abolished the time-dependency of Fuzi pharmacokinetics and efficacy. This reinforced the existence of chronoefficacy for Fuzi and supported the role of circadian pharmacokinetics in Fuzi chronoefficacy.ConclusionsThe efficacy of Fuzi against CKD depends on the dosing time in mice, which is associated with circadian pharmacokinetics of the three main active constituents (i.e. aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine). These findings highlight the relevance of dosing time in the therapeutic outcomes of herbal medicines.
研究领域:
药理学
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生物钟学
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中医
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肾病
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PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Sensors
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2025
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IF 9.1
Jing Yang,Xiaoye Feng,Haiqin Li,Pengtao Chang,Xiaojun Ren,Xiaochun Li
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a public health burden, with a high mortality rate and a trend toward youthfulness. It is imperative to develop a home monitoring system for the early diagnosis and long-term monitoring of CKD serum biomarkers. However, due to the limitations of conventional centrifugation preprocessing of whole blood samples, the real-time detection platform cannot fully meet the requirement of obtaining quantitative results directly from whole blood. Herein, a novel smartphone-assisted microfluidic chip integration of a whole blood separation point-of-care testing (POCT) system was proposed to achieve accurate quantification of CKD biomarkers uric acid (UA), creatinine (CR), and albumin (Alb) based on 30 μL of whole blood (fingertip blood). The whole blood separation module allows rapid separation of plasma from whole blood samples by vertical flow. A smartphone App for automated image recognition and processing was developed, which was applied for at-home routine healthcare. The detection limits of UA, CR, and Alb were 0.1127 mmol/L, 0.2978 μmol/L, and 0.7696 mg/mL, respectively, meeting clinical requirements. Additionally, the quantitative performance of 83 clinical whole blood samples showed high consistency with the clinical analyzer (Beckman AU 5400 automatic biochemical analyzer). This system is simple to operate and user-friendly, providing an accurate, rapid, cost-effective, and reliable detection method for the early screening and real-time monitoring of CKD, which holds significant potential in enhancing home self-management of CKD.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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临床诊断
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微流控技术
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即时检测
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慢性肾病
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生物传感器
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家庭医疗健康技术
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PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）