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Ren N, Wang WF, Zou L, Zhao YL, Miao H, Zhao YY. The nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway is a master regulator of renal fibrosis. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1335094. [PMID: 38293668 PMCID: PMC10824958 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1335094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Renal fibrosis is increasingly recognized as a global public health problem. Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) both result in renal fibrosis. Oxidative stress and inflammation play central roles in progressive renal fibrosis. Oxidative stress and inflammation are closely linked and form a vicious cycle in which oxidative stress induces inflammation through various molecular mechanisms. Ample evidence has indicated that a hyperactive nuclear factor kappa B (NF-ƙB) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in renal fibrosis. Hyperactive NF-ƙB causes the activation and recruitment of immune cells. Inflammation, in turn, triggers oxidative stress through the production of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species by activating leukocytes and resident cells. These events mediate organ injury through apoptosis, necrosis, and fibrosis. Therefore, developing a strategy to target the NF-ƙB signaling pathway is important for the effective treatment of renal fibrosis. This Review summarizes the effect of the NF-ƙB signaling pathway on renal fibrosis in the context of AKI and CKD (immunoglobulin A nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephropathy, and kidney transplantation). Therapies targeting the NF-ƙB signaling pathway, including natural products, are also discussed. In addition, NF-ƙB-dependent non-coding RNAs are involved in renal inflammation and fibrosis and are crucial targets in the development of effective treatments for kidney disease. This Review provides a clear pathophysiological rationale and specific concept-driven therapeutic strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis by targeting the NF-ƙB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Ren
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wen-Feng Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Liang Zou
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan-Long Zhao
- Dialysis Department of Nephrology Hospital, Shaanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hua Miao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying-Yong Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Wang YN, Miao H, Yu XY, Guo Y, Su W, Liu F, Cao G, Zhao YY. Oxidative stress and inflammation are mediated via aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling in idiopathic membranous nephropathy. Free Radic Biol Med 2023; 207:89-106. [PMID: 37451370 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Membranous nephropathy (MN) patients are diagnosed by the presence of phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) before they progress to renal failure. However, the subepithelium-like immunocomplex deposit-mediated downstream molecular pathways are poorly understood. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), NF-ƙB and Nrf2 pathways play central roles in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic kidney disease. However, their mutual effects on MN require further examination. Thus, we investigated the effect of AHR signalling on the NF-ƙB and Nrf2 pathways in IMN patients, cationic bovine serum albumin (CBSA)-injected rats and zymosan activation serum (ZAS)-treated podocytes. IMN patients show significantly decreased serum total protein and albumin levels, increased urine protein levels and intrarenal IgG4 and PLA2R protein expression in glomeruli compared with controls. IMN patients exhibited increased mRNA expression of intrarenal AHR and its target genes, including CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1 and COX-2. This increase was accompanied by significantly upregulated protein expression of CD3, NF-ƙB p65 and COX-2 and significantly downregulated Nrf2 and HO-1 expression. Similarly, CBSA-induced rats showed severe proteinuria and activated intrarenal AHR signalling. This was accompanied by significantly upregulated protein expression of intrarenal p-IκBα, NF-κB p65 and its gene products, including COX-2, MCP-1, iNOS, 12-LOX, p47phox and p67phox, and significantly downregulated protein expression of Nrf2 and its gene products, including HO-1, catalase, GCLC, GCLM, MnSOD and NQO1. These results were further verified in ZAS-induced podocytes. Treatment with the AHR antagonist CH223191 and AHRsiRNA significantly preserved podocyte-specific protein expression and improved the NF-ƙB and Nrf2 pathways in ZAS-induced podocytes. In contrast, similar results were obtained in ZAS-induced podocytes treated with the NF-ƙB inhibitor BAY 11-7082 and NF-κBp65 siRNA. However, neither method had a significant effect on AHR signalling. Collectively, these results indicate that the NF-ƙB pathway is a downstream target of AHR signalling. Our findings suggest that blocking AHR signalling inhibits oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby improving proteinuria and renal injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ni Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, No. 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310053, China
| | - Hua Miao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, No. 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310053, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Shaanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, No. 2 Xihuamen, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710003, China
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Public Health and Sciences, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th Street, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Wei Su
- Department of Nephrology, Baoji Central Hospital, No. 8 Jiangtan Road, Baoji, Shaanxi, 721008, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Urology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 17 South of Panjiayuan, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Gang Cao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, No. 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310053, China.
| | - Ying-Yong Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, No. 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310053, China.
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Miao H, Zhang Y, Yu X, Zou L, Zhao Y. Membranous nephropathy: Systems biology-based novel mechanism and traditional Chinese medicine therapy. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:969930. [PMID: 36176440 PMCID: PMC9513429 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.969930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a renal-limited non-inflammatory autoimmune disease in the glomerulus, which is the second or third main cause of end-stage kidney diseases in patients with primary glomerulonephritis. Substantial achievements have increased our understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of murine and human MN. The identification of nephritogenic autoantibodies against neutral endopeptidase, phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) and thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) antigens provide more specific concept-driven intervention strategies for treatments by specific B cell-targeting monoclonal antibodies to inhibit antibody production and antibody-antigen immune complex deposition. Furthermore, additional antibody specificities for antigens have been discovered, but their pathogenic effects are uncertain. Although anti-PLA2R and anti-THSD7A antibodies as a diagnostic marker is widely used in MN patients, many questions including autoimmune response development, antigenic epitopes, and podocyte damage signalling pathways remain unresolved. This review describes the current available evidence regarding both established and novel molecular mechanisms based on systems biology approaches (gut microbiota, long non-coding RNAs, metabolite biomarkers and DNA methylation) in MN, with an emphasis on clinical findings. This review further summarizes the applications of traditional Chinese medicines such as Tripterygium wilfordii and Astragalus membranaceus for MN treatment. Lastly, this review considers how the identification of novel antibodies/antigens and unresolved questions and future challenges reveal the pathogenesis of MN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Miao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yamei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Genetics & Key Disciplines of Clinical Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital and Clinical Medical College of Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyong Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Shaanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoyong Yu, ; Liang Zou, ; Yingyong Zhao,
| | - Liang Zou
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoyong Yu, ; Liang Zou, ; Yingyong Zhao,
| | - Yingyong Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Genetics & Key Disciplines of Clinical Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital and Clinical Medical College of Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoyong Yu, ; Liang Zou, ; Yingyong Zhao,
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