scholarly journals Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Diabetic Nephropathy: Nontraditional Therapeutic Opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Ping Na Zhang ◽  
Meng Qi Zhou ◽  
Jing Guo ◽  
Hui Juan Zheng ◽  
Jingyi Tang ◽  
...  

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a progressive microvascular diabetic complication. Growing evidence shows that persistent mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the progression of renal diseases, including DN, as it alters mitochondrial homeostasis and, in turn, affects normal kidney function. Pharmacological regulation of mitochondrial networking is a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing and restoring renal function in DN. In this review, we have surveyed recent advances in elucidating the mitochondrial networking and signaling pathways in physiological and pathological contexts. Additionally, we have considered the contributions of nontraditional therapy that ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunction and discussed their molecular mechanism, highlighting the potential value of nontraditional therapies, such as herbal medicine and lifestyle interventions, in therapeutic interventions for DN. The generation of new insights using mitochondrial networking will facilitate further investigations on nontraditional therapies for DN.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Sorriento ◽  
Antonietta Valeria Pascale ◽  
Rosa Finelli ◽  
Anna Lisa Carillo ◽  
Roberto Annunziata ◽  
...  

Mitochondria are critical regulator of cell metabolism; thus, mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with many metabolic disorders. Defects in oxidative phosphorylation, ROS production, or mtDNA mutations are the main causes of mitochondrial dysfunction in many pathological conditions such as IR/diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Thus, targeting mitochondria has been proposed as therapeutic approach for these conditions, leading to the development of small molecules to be tested in the clinical scenario. Here we discuss therapeutic interventions to treat mitochondrial dysfunction associated with two major metabolic disorders, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Finally, novel mechanisms of regulation of mitochondrial function are discussed, which open new scenarios for mitochondria targeting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 1778-1798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunfang Zhang ◽  
Junxia Feng ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
Shili Zhao ◽  
Shen Yang ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Hyperglycaemia stress-induced renal injury is closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction through poorly understood mechanisms. The aim of our study is to explore the upstream trigger and the downstream effector driving diabetic nephropathy via modulating mitochondrial homeostasis. Methods: A diabetic nephropathy model was generated in wild-type (WT) mice and MAP Kinase phosphatase 1 transgenic (MKP1-TG) mice using STZ injection. Cell experiments were conducted via high-glucose treatment in the human renal mesangial cell line (HRMC). MKP1 overexpression assay was carried out via adenovirus transfection. Renal function was evaluated via ELISA, western blotting, histopathological staining, and immunofluorescence. Mitochondrial function was determined via mitochondrial potential analysis, ROS detection, ATP measurement, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening evaluation, and immunofluorescence for mitochondrial pro-apoptotic factors. Loss- and gain-of-function assays for mitochondrial fragmentation were performed using a pharmacological agonist and blocker. Western blotting and the pathway blocker were used to establish the signalling pathway in response to MKP1 overexpression in the presence of hyperglycaemia stress. Results: MKP1 was downregulated in the presence of chronic high-glucose stress in vivo and in vitro. However, MKP1 overexpression improved the metabolic parameters, enhanced glucose control, sustained renal function, attenuated kidney oxidative stress, inhibited the renal inflammation response, alleviated HRMC apoptosis, and repressed tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Molecular investigation found that MKP1 overexpression enhanced the resistance of HRMC to the hyperglycaemic injury by abolishing mitochondrial fragmentation. Hyperglycaemia-triggered mitochondrial fragmentation promoted mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by decreased mitochondrial potential, elevated mitochondrial ROS production, increased pro-apoptotic factor leakage, augmented mPTP opening and activated caspase-9 apoptotic pathway. Interestingly, MKP1 overexpression strongly abrogated mitochondrial fragmentation and sustained mitochondrial homeostasis via inhibiting the JNK-CaMKII-Fis1 pathway. After re-activation of the JNK-CaMKII-Fis1 pathway, the beneficial effects of MKP1 overexpression on mitochondrial protection disappeared. Conclusion: Taken together, our data identified the protective role played by MKP1 in regulating diabetic renal injury via repressing mitochondrial fragmentation and inactivating the JNK-CaMKII-Fis1 pathway, which may pave the road to new therapeutic modalities for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.


Author(s):  
Viviana Casagrande ◽  
Massimo Federici ◽  
Rossella Menghini

AbstractDiabetic kidney disease, one of the most severe complications associated with diabetes, is characterized by albuminuria, glomerulosclerosis and progressive loss of renal function. Loss of TIMP3, an Extracellular matrix-bound protein, is a hallmark of diabetic nephropathy in human and mouse models, suggesting its pivotal role in renal diseases associated to diabetes. There is currently no specific therapy for diabetic nephropathy, and the ability to restore high TIMP3 activity specifically in the kidney may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for the amelioration of renal injury under conditions in which its reduction is directly related to the disease. Increasing evidence shows that diabetic nephropathy is also regulated by epigenetic mechanisms, including noncoding RNA. This review recapitulates the pathological, diagnostic and therapeutic potential roles of TIMP3 and the noncoding RNA (microRNA, long noncoding RNA) related to its expression, in the progression of diabetic nephropathy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2385
Author(s):  
Paweł Muszyński ◽  
Tomasz A. Bonda

Despite the enormous progress in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, mainly with the use of invasive techniques, many questions remain unanswered regarding the pathomechanism of the arrhythmia and its prevention methods. The development of atrial fibrillation requires functional changes in the myocardium that result from disturbed ionic fluxes and altered electrophysiology of the cardiomyocyte. Electrical instability and electrical remodeling underlying the arrhythmia may result from a cellular energy deficit and oxidative stress, which are caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. The significance of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation remains not fully elucidated; however, it is emphasized by the reduction of atrial fibrillation burden after therapeutic interventions improving the mitochondrial welfare. This review summarizes the mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction related to atrial fibrillation and current pharmacological treatment options targeting mitochondria to prevent or improve the outcome of atrial fibrillation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 2087-2100
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn M. Dykstra ◽  
Hannah R. S. Fay ◽  
Ashish C. Massey ◽  
Neng Yang ◽  
Matthew Johnson ◽  
...  

Abstract Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) and therapy-resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts contribute to the reinitiation of leukemia after remission, necessitating therapeutic interventions that target these populations. Autophagy is a prosurvival process that allows for cells to adapt to a variety of stressors. Blocking autophagy pharmacologically by using mechanistically distinct inhibitors induced apoptosis and prevented colony formation in primary human AML cells. The most effective inhibitor, bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1), also prevented the in vivo maintenance of AML LSCs in NSG mice. To understand why Baf A1 exerted the most dramatic effects on LSC survival, we evaluated mitochondrial function. Baf A1 reduced mitochondrial respiration and stabilized PTEN-induced kinase-1 (PINK-1), which initiates autophagy of mitochondria (mitophagy). Interestingly, with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine, levels of enhanced cell death and reduced mitochondrial respiration phenocopied the effects of Baf A1 only when cultured in hypoxic conditions that mimic the marrow microenvironment (1% O2). This indicates that increased efficacy of autophagy inhibitors in inducing AML cell death can be achieved by concurrently inducing mitochondrial damage and mitophagy (pharmacologically or by hypoxic induction) and blocking mitochondrial degradation. In addition, prolonged exposure of AML cells to hypoxia induced autophagic flux and reduced chemosensitivity to cytarabine (Ara-C), which was reversed by autophagy inhibition. The combination of Ara-C with Baf A1 also decreased tumor burden in vivo. These findings demonstrate that autophagy is critical for mitochondrial homeostasis and survival of AML cells in hypoxia and support the development of autophagy inhibitors as novel therapeutic agents for AML.


Author(s):  
Yudi Zhang ◽  
Chunhe Tao ◽  
Donglin Du ◽  
Chen Xuan ◽  
Wenfu Cao

Background and Purpose: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common and severe chronic complication in diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect and mechanism of Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on renal pyroptosis in DN. Experimental Approach: High-fat diet and a small dose of streptozotocin were used to establish the DN model. Rats were treated with vehicle or AS-IV (20-, 40- and 80-mg/kg/day) or valsartan (30mg/kg/day) by gavage. After 12 weeks, animals were euthanized; samples of urine and blood were collected to examine biochemical indicators, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), inflammatory cytokines; kidney tissues were collected for histological observation, TUNEL staining, AGEs, inflammatory cytokines, redox indicators, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Key Results: Biochemical results showed that AS-IV could significantly alleviate the degree of clinical symptoms and the levels of blood glucose, HbA1C, TG, MDA, AGEs, Interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18 while improving the activity of SOD and the secretion and sensitivity of insulin. Histological examination and TUNEL staining indicated that AS-IV attenuated the damage of tissues and cells in the kidney from DN rats. Western blot results revealed that AS-IV relieved the activation of NOX4/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway and the expression of collagen IV and fibronectin in DN rats. Immunohistochemistry results showed that AS-IV attenuated collagen IV and fibronectin in the kidney from DN rats. Conclusion and Implications: The NOX4/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway mediated renal pyroptosis could play a crucial role in kidney damage and DN development in rats. Restoration of renal pyroptosis by AS-IV be a potential therapeutic strategy against DN.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Kai Chen ◽  
Zhongjie Sun

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) is a ubiquitously expressed membrane-bound sheddase that cleaves a diverse variety of membrane-bound molecules, including cytokines, growth factors, and their receptors to activate or inactivate various cellular signaling pathways. Although it was reported that ADAM17 may mediate renal diseases, the role of ADAM17 in the regulation of normal kidney function has never been identified. The objective of this study is to investigate whether renal ADAM17 plays a role in maintaining normal kidney function and structure. Tamoxifen-inducible kidney-specific cre (Ksp) and ADAM17-floxed mice were cross-bred for generating Ksp/ADAM17-floxed mice. Injection of tamoxifen initiated deletion of the ADAM17 gene in renal tubule cells. We found that conditional kidney-specific knockout of ADAM1 7 gene (Ksp-ADAM17 -/-) decreased urinary creatinine and sodium excretion were decreased in Ksp-ADAM17 -/- mice, indicating that ADAM17 gene deficiency impairs kidney function. H&E staining showed glomerulus collapse and tubule dilation in Ksp-ADAM17 -/- mice. The epithelial cells fall off into the lumen in the renal tubule. Mesangial expansion and fibrosis were found in glomeruli in Ksp-ADAM17 -/- mice. Moreover, apoptosis was increased in tubule cells in both cortex and medulla areas in Ksp-ADAM17 -/- mice. In conclusion, ADAM17 is critical to the maintenance of normal renal function and structure.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (24) ◽  
pp. 13670-13679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore P. Braun ◽  
Cody Coblentz ◽  
Brittany M. Smith ◽  
Daniel J. Coleman ◽  
Zachary Schonrock ◽  
...  

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a deadly hematologic malignancy with poor prognosis, particularly in the elderly. Even among individuals with favorable-risk disease, approximately half will relapse with conventional therapy. In this clinical circumstance, the determinants of relapse are unclear, and there are no therapeutic interventions that can prevent recurrent disease. Mutations in the transcription factor CEBPA are associated with favorable risk in AML. However, mutations in the growth factor receptor CSF3R are commonly co-occurrent in CEBPA mutant AML and are associated with an increased risk of relapse. To develop therapeutic strategies for this disease subset, we performed medium-throughput drug screening on CEBPA/CSF3R mutant leukemia cells and identified sensitivity to inhibitors of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1). Treatment of CSF3R/CEBPA mutant leukemia cells with LSD1 inhibitors reactivates differentiation-associated enhancers driving immunophenotypic and morphologic differentiation. LSD1 inhibition is ineffective as monotherapy but demonstrates synergy with inhibitors of JAK/STAT signaling, doubling median survival in vivo. These results demonstrate that combined inhibition of JAK/STAT signaling and LSD1 is a promising therapeutic strategy for CEBPA/CSF3R mutant AML.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document