Effect of benfotiamine in podocyte damage induced by peritoneal dialysis fluid

Thiamine and benfotiamine: Focus on their therapeutic potential

Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in energy metabolism and overall health. It is a water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in the conversion of carbohydrates into energy in the body. Thiamine is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, heart and muscles. Thiamine deficiency is a life-threatening disease that leads to various disorders and lesions in the nerves and brain, at least in vertebrates. Several thiamine precursors with higher bioavailability have been developed to compensate for thiamine deficiency, including benfotiamine. Benfotiamine is more bioavailable and has higher tissue penetration than thiamine. Studies have shown its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential in activated immune and glial cells. It also improves complications observed in type 2 diabetes and has beneficial effects in mouse models of neurodegenerative disease. Benfotiamine represents an off-the-shelf agent used to support nerve health, promote healthy aging and support glucose metabolism. Accordingly, the present review aimed to provide an overview of the neuroprotective effects of thiamine/benfotiamine in the context of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Quercetin attenuates the proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress of high glucose-induced human mesangial cells by regulating the miR-485-5p/YAP1 pathway

Background

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a kidney damage caused by diabetes and the main cause of end-stage renal disease. However, the current treatment of DN has many limitations. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid compound with therapeutic benefits in metabolic diseases. This study aims to determine the therapeutic potentials and underlying mechanism of quercetin on DN.

Methods

We collected blood samples from DN patients and healthy controls and treated human mesangial cells (HMCs) with high glucose (HG) to establish an in vitro model of DN. Then we assessed the expression difference of miR-485-5p as well as YAP1 in serum of DN patients and healthy controls and between HG-induced HMCs and control cells. qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to assess miR-485-5p and YAP1 expression levels; CCK-8 and ELISAs were used to examine cell proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Dual luciferase reporter assay was implemented to detect the binding of miR-485-5p and YAP1 mRNA sequence.

Results

Quercetin suppressed proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress of HMCs induced by HG. As for mechanism, miR-485-5p directly bound to YAP1 and inhibited YAP1 expression. The downregulation of miR-485-5p and upregulation of YAP1 were also observed in the serum of DN patients. Quercetin modulated miR-485-5p/YAP1 axis to regulate HG-induced inflammation and oxidative stress.

Conclusion:

Quercetin inhibits the proliferation, inflammation, and oxidative stress of HMCs induced by HG through miR-485-5p/YAP1 axis, which might provide a novel treatment strategy for DN.

miR-30a-5p targets Becn1 to ameliorate high-glucose-induced glomerular podocyte injury in immortalized rat podocyte cell line

OBJECTIVE

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious kidney-based complication of diabetes, wherein podocyte injury is deemed crucial in the development of early stage. Various miRNAs, as report goes, is involved in the pathogenesis of varieties of kidney diseases including DN. In this study, we found a target relationship between miR-30a-5p and Becn1, of which there are few studies about the role in podocyte injury. We therefore used immortalized rat podocyte cell line to explore the role and molecular mechanism of miR-30a-5p targeting Becn1 gene in high-glucose-induced glomerular podocyte injury.

METHODS

The mRNA and protein expressions of miR-30a-5p and Becn1 were detected respectively by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and western blotting. The proliferation, apoptosis, and the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were detected by MTT assay, flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay, respectively. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were also determined.

RESULTS

Compared with normal group, miR-30a-5p in model groups were down-regulated, while Becn1 expression was significantly up-regulated, with slower proliferation, higher apoptosis rate, lower SOD level, and significantly higher ROS, MDA, IL-6, and TNF-α levels (all P<0.05). Overexpression of miR-30a-5p or Becn1 knock-out could lower Becn1 expression, apoptosis rate, promote proliferation, with relatively higher SOD level and lower ROS, MDA, Il-6, and TNF-α levels of model cells (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Up-regulation of miR-30a-5p can suppress the expression of Becn1 to increase the growth and inhibit the apoptosis of immortalized rat podocyte cell line, therefore ameliorating podocyte injury induced by high glucose in vitro.

Glycative Stress and Its Defense Machinery Glyoxalase 1 in Renal Pathogenesis

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health problem around the world. Because the kidney plays a role in reducing glycative stress, renal dysfunction results in increased glycative stress. In turn, glycative stress, especially that due to advanced glycated end products (AGEs) and their precursors such as reactive carbonyl compounds, exacerbates chronic kidney disease and is related to premature aging in chronic kidney disease, whether caused by diabetes mellitus or otherwise. Factors which hinder a sufficient reduction in glycative stress include the inhibition of anti-glycation enzymes (e.g., GLO-1), as well as pathogenically activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and hypoxia in the kidney. Promising strategies aimed at halting the vicious cycle between chronic kidney disease and increases in glycative stress include the suppression of AGE accumulation in the body and the enhancement of GLO-1 to strengthen the host defense machinery against glycative stress.