AR Deficiency Inhibits LPS-induced M1 Response in Macrophages by Activating Autophagy

Macrophage M1 polarization mediates inflammatory responses and tissue damage. Recently, aldose reductase (AR) has been shown to play a critical role in of M1 polarization in macrophages. However, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we demonstrated, for the first time, that AR deficiency repressed the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages via activation of autophagy. This suppression was related to a defect in the inhibitor of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) kinase (IKK) complex in the classical NF-κB pathway. However, the mRNA levels of the IKKβ and IKKγ were not reduced in LPS-treated AR knockout (KO) macrophages, indicating that their proteins were downregulated at the post-transcriptional level. We discovered that LPS stimuli induced the recruitment of more beclin1 and increased autophagosome formation in AR-deficient macrophages. Blocking autophagy by 3-methyladenine and ammonium chloride treatment restored IKKβ and IKKγ protein levels and increased nitric oxide synthase production in LPS-stimulated AR-deficient macrophages. More assembled IKKβ and IKKγ undergo ubiquitination and recruit the autophagic adaptor p62 in LPS-induced AR KO macrophages, promoting their delivery to autophagosomes and lysosomes. Collectively, these findings suggest that AR deficiency involves in the regulation of NF-κB signaling, and extends the role of selective autophagy in fine-tuned M1 macrophage polarization.