scholarly journals Impact of Uremic Toxins on Endothelial Dysfunction in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Eva Harlacher ◽  
Julia Wollenhaupt ◽  
Constance C. F. M. J. Baaten ◽  
Heidi Noels

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at a highly increased risk of cardiovascular complications, with increased vascular inflammation, accelerated atherogenesis and enhanced thrombotic risk. Considering the central role of the endothelium in protecting from atherogenesis and thrombosis, as well as its cardioprotective role in regulating vasorelaxation, this study aimed to systematically integrate literature on CKD-associated endothelial dysfunction, including the underlying molecular mechanisms, into a comprehensive overview. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of literature describing uremic serum or uremic toxin-induced vascular dysfunction with a special focus on the endothelium. This revealed 39 studies analyzing the effects of uremic serum or the uremic toxins indoxyl sulfate, cyanate, modified LDL, the advanced glycation end products N-carboxymethyl-lysine and N-carboxyethyl-lysine, p-cresol and p-cresyl sulfate, phosphate, uric acid and asymmetric dimethylarginine. Most studies described an increase in inflammation, oxidative stress, leukocyte migration and adhesion, cell death and a thrombotic phenotype upon uremic conditions or uremic toxin treatment of endothelial cells. Cellular signaling pathways that were frequently activated included the ROS, MAPK/NF-κB, the Aryl-Hydrocarbon-Receptor and RAGE pathways. Overall, this review provides detailed insights into pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction in CKD. Targeting these pathways may provide new therapeutic strategies reducing increased the cardiovascular risk in CKD.

Toxins ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esmeralda Castillo-Rodriguez ◽  
Raul Fernandez-Prado ◽  
Raquel Esteras ◽  
Maria Perez-Gomez ◽  
Carolina Gracia-Iguacel ◽  
...  

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), accumulation of uremic toxins is associated with an increased risk of CKD progression. Some uremic toxins result from nutrient processing by gut microbiota, yielding precursors of uremic toxins or uremic toxins themselves, such as trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO), p-cresyl sulphate, indoxyl sulphate and indole-3 acetic acid. Increased intake of some nutrients may modify the gut microbiota, increasing the number of bacteria that process them to yield uremic toxins. Circulating levels of nutrient-derived uremic toxins are associated to increased risk of CKD progression. This offers the opportunity for therapeutic intervention by either modifying the diet, modifying the microbiota, decreasing uremic toxin production by microbiota, increasing toxin excretion or targeting specific uremic toxins. We now review the link between nutrients, microbiota and uremic toxin with CKD progression. Specific focus will be placed on the generation specific uremic toxins with nephrotoxic potential, the decreased availability of bacteria-derived metabolites with nephroprotective potential, such as vitamin K and butyrate and the cellular and molecular mechanisms linking these toxins and protective factors to kidney diseases. This information provides a conceptual framework that allows the development of novel therapeutic approaches.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Metzinger

Abstract Background and Aims The gene program is controlled at the post-transcriptional level by the action of small non-coding RNAs known as microRNAs (miRNAs), short, single-stranded molecules that control mRNA stability or translational repression via base pairing with regions in the 3' untranslated region of their target mRNAs. Recently, considerable progress has been made to elucidate the roles of miRNAs in vascular pathogenesis and develop the use of miRNAs as biomarkers, and innovative drugs. We demonstrated during the last decade that miRNAs miR-126 and miR-223 are implicated in the course of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular damage. miR-223 expression is enhanced in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) subjected to an uremic toxin and also in aortas of a murine model of CKD. As restenosis is a common complication of angioplasty, in which neointimal hyperplasia results from migration of VSMCs into the vessel lumen we measured the effect of miR-223 modulation on restenosis in a rat model of carotid artery after balloon injury. We over-expressed and inhibited miR-223 expression using adenoviral vectors, coding a pre-miR-223 sequence or a sponge sequence, used to trap endogenous microRNA, respectively. We demonstrated that inhibiting miR-223 function significantly reduced neointimal hyperplasia by almost half in carotids. Thus down-regulating miR-223 could be a potential therapeutic approach to prevent restenosis after angioplasty. We also correlated miR-126 and miR-223 expression with clinical outcomes in a large cohort of CKD patients, in collaboration with the University Hospital of Ghent (Belgium) and Ambroise Paré Hospital, France. We evaluated both miRNA’s link with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and renal events over a 6-year follow-up period. The serum levels of miR-126 and miR-223 were decreased as CKD stage advanced, and patients with higher levels of miR-126 and miR-223 had a higher survival rate. Similar results were observed for cardiovascular and renal events. In conclusion, CKD is associated with a decrease in circulating miR-126 and miR-223 levels in CKD patients. We will also present links between several uremic toxin concentrations and miRNA concentration in the patients of this cohort. Finally, anemia is a common feature of CKD that is associated with cardiovascular disease and poor clinical outcomes. A mixture of uremic toxins accumulates in the blood of CKD patients during the course of the disease, and there is good evidence that they modulate erythropoiesis, explaining at least partly anemia. The exact molecular mechanisms implicated are however poorly understood, although recent progresses have been made to identify key components in the CKD process. We will present results on the effect of uremic toxins on erythropoiesis, having an impact on cell metabolism during this process. Taken together, our findings could be of interest to both researchers and clinicians working in the field since they might shed new light on the molecular mechanisms involved in the CKD process. MicroRNAs implicated in Chronic Kidney Disease Pr. Laurent Metzinger, UR-UPJV 4666 HEMATIM, CURS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, CHU Amiens Sud, Avenue René Laënnec, Salouel, F-80054, Amiens, France. Tel: (+33) 22 82 53 56, Email: [email protected]


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6270
Author(s):  
Chia-Ter Chao ◽  
Shih-Hua Lin

The accumulation of uremic toxins (UTs) is a prototypical manifestation of uremic milieu that follows renal function decline (chronic kidney disease, CKD). Frailty as a potential outcome-relevant indicator is also prevalent in CKD. The intertwined relationship between uremic toxins, including small/large solutes (phosphate, asymmetric dimethylarginine) and protein-bound ones like indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (pCS), and frailty pathogenesis has been documented recently. Uremic toxins were shown in vitro and in vivo to induce noxious effects on many organ systems and likely influenced frailty development through their effects on multiple preceding events and companions of frailty, such as sarcopenia/muscle wasting, cognitive impairment/cognitive frailty, osteoporosis/osteodystrophy, vascular calcification, and cardiopulmonary deconditioning. These organ-specific effects may be mediated through different molecular mechanisms or signal pathways such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2), osterix, Notch signaling, autophagy effectors, microRNAs, and reactive oxygen species induction. Anecdotal clinical studies also suggest that frailty may further accelerate renal function decline, thereby augmenting the accumulation of UTs in affected individuals. Judging from these threads of evidence, management strategies aiming for uremic toxin reduction may be a promising approach for frailty amelioration in patients with CKD. Uremic toxin lowering strategies may bear the potential of improving patients’ outcomes and restoring their quality of life, through frailty attenuation. Pathogenic molecule-targeted therapeutics potentially disconnect the association between uremic toxins and frailty, additionally serving as an outcome-modifying approach in the future.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miki Imazu ◽  
Masanori Asakura ◽  
Takuya Hasegawa ◽  
Hiroshi Asanuma ◽  
Shin Ito ◽  
...  

Background: One of uremic toxins, indoxyl sulfate (IS) is related to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the worse cardiovascular outcomes. We have previously reported the relationship between IS levels and the severity of chronic heart failure (CHF), but the question arises as to whether the treatment of uremic toxin is beneficial in patients with CHF. This study aimed to elucidate whether the treatment with the oral adsorbent which reduces uremic toxin improved the cardiac function of the patients with CHF. Methods: First of all, we retrospectively enrolled 49 patients with both CHF and stage ≤3 CKD in our institute compared with the healthy subjects without CHF or CKD in the resident cohort study of Arita. Secondly, we retrospectively enrolled 16 CHF outpatients with stage 3-5 CKD. They were treated with and without the oral adsorbent of AST-120 for one year termed as the treatment and control groups, respectively. We underwent both blood test and echocardiography before and after the treatment. Results: First of all, among 49 patients in CHF patients, plasma IS levels increased to 1.38 ± 0.84 μg/ml from the value of 0.08 ± 0.06 μg/ml in Arita-cho as a community-living matched with gender and eGFR of CHF patients. We found both fractional shortening (FS) and E/e’, an index of diastolic function were decreased (25.0 ± 12.7%) and increased (13.7 ± 7.5), respectively in CHF patients compared with the value of FS and E/e’ in Arita-cho (FS: 41.8 ± 8.3%, E/e’: 8.8 ± 2.1). Secondly, in the treatment group, the plasma IS levels and the serum creatinine and brain natriuretic peptide levels decreased (1.40 ± 0.17 to 0.92 ± 0.15 μg/ml; p<0.05, 1.91 ± 0.16 to 1.67 ± 0.12 mg/dl; p<0.05, 352 ± 57 to 244 ± 49 pg/ml; p<0.05, respectively) and both FS and E/e’ were improved following the treatment with AST-120 (28.8 ± 2.8 to 32.9 ± 2.6%; p<0.05, 18.0 ± 2.0 to 11.8 ± 1.0; p<0.05). However, these parameters did not change in the control group. Conclusions: The treatment to decrease the blood levels of uremic toxins improved not only renal dysfunction but cardiac systolic and diastolic dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure. Oral adsorbents might be a new treatment of heart failure especially with diastolic dysfunction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10549
Author(s):  
Ophélie Fourdinier ◽  
Griet Glorieux ◽  
Benjamin Brigant ◽  
Momar Diouf ◽  
Anneleen Pletinck ◽  
...  

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major cause of death worldwide and is associated with a high risk for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. In CKD, endothelial dysfunction occurs and uremic toxins accumulate in the blood. miR-126 is a regulator of endothelial dysfunction and its blood level is decreased in CKD patients. In order to obtain a better understanding of the physiopathology of the disease, we correlated the levels of miR-126 with several markers of endothelial dysfunction, as well as the representative uremic toxins, in a large cohort of CKD patients at all stages of the disease. Using a univariate analysis, we found a correlation between eGFR and most markers of endothelial dysfunction markers evaluated in this study. An association of miR-126 with all the evaluated uremic toxins was also found, while uremic toxins were not associated with the internal control, specifically cel-miR-39. The correlation between the expression of endothelial dysfunction biomarker Syndecan-1, free indoxyl sulfate, and total p-cresyl glucuronide on one side, and miR-126 on the other side was confirmed using multivariate analysis. As CKD is associated with reduced endothelial glycocalyx (eGC), our results justify further evaluation of the role of correlated parameters in the pathophysiology of CKD.


Toxins ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suree Lekawanvijit

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is highly prevalent in the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Such coexistence of CVD and CKD—the so-called “cardiorenal or renocardiac syndrome”—contributes to exponentially increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Uremic cardiomyopathy is a characteristic cardiac pathology commonly found in CKD. CKD patients are also predisposed to heart rhythm disorders especially atrial fibrillation. Traditional CV risk factors as well as known CKD-associated CV risk factors such as anemia are insufficient to explain CV complications in the CKD population. Accumulation of uremic retention solutes is a hallmark of impaired renal excretory function. Many of them have been considered inert solutes until their biological toxicity is unraveled and they become accepted as “uremic toxins”. Direct cardiotoxicity of uremic toxins has been increasingly demonstrated in recent years. This review offers a mechanistic insight into the pathological cardiac remodeling and dysfunction contributed by uremic toxins with a main focus on fibroblastic growth factor-23, an emerging toxin playing a central role in the chronic kidney disease–mineral bone disorder, and the two most investigated non-dialyzable protein-bound uremic toxins, indoxyl sulfate and p-cresyl sulfate. Potential therapeutic strategies that could address these toxins and their relevant mediated pathways since pre-dialysis stages are also discussed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Hsu Chen ◽  
Shih-Chien Huang ◽  
Pei-Chih Lin ◽  
Shang-Feng Tsai ◽  
Yi-Chia Huang

Abstract Background: Increased levels of uremic toxins and decreased antioxidant capacities have a significant impact on the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it is unclear whether they interact with each other in order to mediate the damage of renal function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether uremic toxins [i.e., homocysteine and indoxyl sulfate (IS)] and glutathione-dependent antioxidant enzyme activities are dependently or independently associated with each other in affecting renal function during different stages of CKD patients.Methods: One hundred thirty-two patients diagnosed with CKD stage 1 to 5 participated in this cross-sectional study.Results: Patients who had reached an advanced CKD stage experienced a gradual increase in plasma uremic toxin levels, along with decreased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities. Plasma homocysteine, cysteine and IS concentrations were positively associated with each other, but negatively correlated to GSH-Px activity levels after adjusting potential confounders in all CKD patients. Although plasma homocysteine, cysteine, IS and GSH-Px levels were significantly associated with renal function, only plasma IS levels still had a significant association with renal function after these parameters were simultaneously adjusted.Conclusions: IS plays a more dominant role than other factors in affecting renal function, where a higher IS concentration needs to be controlled in order to defer the progressive loss of renal function.


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