1.Role of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in diabetic kidney disease and research progress of traditional Chinese medicine intervention.
Yan-Xu CHEN ; Xiao-Xue JIANG ; Qin-Yuan ZHANG ; Chang-Qing XU ; Yao-Mu HU ; Cai-Yun JIN ; Bo-Ling ZHANG ; Yao-Qin FU ; Zhi-Sheng JIN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(10):2630-2638
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Diabetic kidney disease is an important microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Its pathological characteristics mainly include epithelial mesenchymal transition(EMT) in glomerulus, podocyte apoptosis and autophagy, and damage of glomerular filtration barrier. Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway is specifically regulated by a variety of mechanisms, and is a classic pathway involved in physiological activities such as apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation. At present, many studies have found that TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has significant advantages in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease for its multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics, and some traditional Chinese medicine extracts, traditional Chinese medicines and traditional Chinese medicine compound prescription improve the renal injury of diabetic kidney disease by regulating TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. This study clarified the mechanism of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in diabetic kidney disease by expounding the relationship between the key targets of the pathway and diabetic kidney disease, and summarized the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease by interfering with TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in recent years, to provide reference for drug research and clinical treatment of diabetic kidney disease in the future.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetic Nephropathies/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Medicine, Chinese Traditional
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Signal Transduction
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Smad Proteins/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetes Mellitus/genetics*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
2.1, 25-(OH)2-VitD3 attenuates renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in diabetic kidney disease by inhibiting Snail1-SMAD3/SMAD4 complex formation.
Chengchong HUANG ; Rong DONG ; Zhengsheng LI ; Jing YUAN
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2023;39(4):325-331
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To investigate the effect of 1, 25-(OH)2-VitD3 (VitD3) on renal tubuleinterstitial fibrosis in diabetic kidney disease. Methods NRK-52E renal tubular epithelial cells were divided into control group (5.5 mmol/L glucose medium treatment), high glucose group (25 mmol/L glucose medium treatment) and high glucose with added VitD3 group (25 mmol/L glucose medium combined with 10-8 mmol/L VitD3). The mRNA and protein expression of Snail1, SMAD3, SMAD4, α-SMA and E-cadherin in NRK-52E cells were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis respectively. The expression and localization of Snail1, SMAD3 and SMAD4 were detected by immunofluorescence cytochemical staining. The binding of Snail1 with SMAD3/SMAD4 complex to the promoter of Coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (CAR) was detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The interaction among Snail1, SMAD3/SMAD4 and E-cadherin were detected by luciferase assay. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to inhibit the expression of Snail1 and SMAD4, and the expression of mRNA of E-cadherin was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. SD rats were randomly divided into control group, DKD group and VitD3-treated group. DKD model was established by injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in DKD group and VitD3-treated group. After DKD modeling, VitD3-treated group was given VitD3 (60 ng/kg) intragastric administration. Control group and DKD group were given normal saline intragastric administration. In the DKD group and VitD3-treated group, insulin (1-2 U/kg) was injected subcutaneously to control blood glucose for 8 weeks. The mRNA and protein levels of Snail1, SMAD3, SMAD4, α-SMA and E-cadherin in renal tissues were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression and localization of Snail1, SMAD3, SMAD4, α-SMA and E-cadherin in renal tissue. Results Compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein expressions of Snail1, SMAD3, SMAD4 and α-SMA in NRK-52E cells cultured with high glucose and in DKD renal tissues were up-regulated, while E-cadherin expression was down-regulated. After the intervention of VitD3, the expression levels of Snail1, SMAD3, SMAD4, α-SMA and E-cadherin in the DKD model improved to be close to those in the control group. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that Snail1 and SMAD3/SMAD4 bound to CAR promoter IV, while VitD3 prevented Snail1 and SMAD3/SMAD4 from binding to CAR promoter IV. Luciferase assay confirmed the interaction among Snail1, SMAD3/SMAD4 and E-cadherin. After the mRNA of Snail1 and SMAD4 was inhibited by siRNA, the expression of E-cadherin induced by high glucose was up-regulated. Conclusion VitD3 could inhibit the formation of Snail1-SMAD3/SMAD4 complex and alleviate the renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in DKD.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cadherins/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetes Mellitus/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetic Nephropathies/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Fibrosis/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Glucose/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Messenger
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Small Interfering
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Vitamin D/pharmacology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
3.Expression of GPNMB in renal eosinophilic tumors and its value in differential diagnosis.
Ya WANG ; Meng Yue HOU ; Yao FU ; Kui MENG ; Hong Yan WU ; Jin CHEN ; Yue Mei XU ; Jiong SHI ; Xiang Shan FAN
Chinese Journal of Pathology 2023;52(4):358-363
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To investigate the expression of glycoprotein non metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) in renal eosinophilic tumors and to compare the value of GPNMB with CK20, CK7 and CD117 in the differential diagnosis of renal eosinophilic tumors. Methods: Traditional renal tumor eosinophil subtypes, including 22 cases of renal clear cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-ccRCC), 19 cases of renal papillary cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-papRCC), 17 cases of renal chromophobe cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-chRCC), 12 cases of renal oncocytoma (RO) and emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics [3 cases of eosinophilic solid cystic renal cell carcinoma (ESC RCC), 3 cases of renal low-grade eosinophil tumor (LOT), 4 cases of fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (FH-dRCC) and 5 cases of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (E-AML)], were collected at the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2017 to March 2022. The expression of GPNMB, CK20, CK7 and CD117 was detected by immunohistochemistry and statistically analyzed. Results: GPNMB was expressed in all emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics (ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC) and E-AML, while the expression rates in traditional renal eosinophil subtypes e-papRCC, e-chRCC, e-ccRCC and RO were very low or zero (1/19, 1/17, 0/22 and 0/12, respectively); the expression rate of CK7 in LOT (3/3), e-chRCC (15/17), e-ccRCC (4/22), e-papRCC (2/19), ESC RCC (0/3), RO (4/12), E-AML(1/5), and FH-dRCC (2/4) variedly; the expression of CK20 was different in ESC RCC (3/3), LOT(3/3), e-chRCC(1/17), RO(9/12), e-papRCC(4/19), FH-dRCC(1/4), e-ccRCC(0/22) and E-AML(0/5), and so did that of CD117 in e-ccRCC(2/22), e-papRCC(1/19), e-chRCC(16/17), RO(10/12), ESC RCC(0/3), LOT(1/3), E-AML(2/5) and FH-dRCC(1/4). GPNMB had 100% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity in distinguishing E-AML and emerging renal tumor types (such as ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC) from traditional renal tumor types (such as e-ccRCC, e-papRCC, e-chRCC, RO),respectively. Compared with CK7, CK20 and CD117 antibodies, GPNMB was more effective in the differential diagnosis (P<0.05). Conclusion: As a new renal tumor marker, GPNMB can effectively distinguish E-AML and emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics such as ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC from traditional renal tumor eosinophil subtypes such as e-ccRCC, e-papRCC, e-chRCC and RO, which is helpful for the differential diagnosis of renal eosinophilic tumors.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney Neoplasms/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diagnosis, Differential
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Angiomyolipoma/diagnosis*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*
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		                        			Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Membrane Glycoproteins
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
4.Read-through circular RNA rt-circ-HS promotes hypoxia inducible factor 1α expression and renal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness.
Yun Yi XU ; Zheng Zheng SU ; Lin Mao ZHENG ; Meng Ni ZHANG ; Jun Ya TAN ; Ya Lan YANG ; Meng Xin ZHANG ; Miao XU ; Ni CHEN ; Xue Qin CHEN ; Qiao ZHOU
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2023;55(2):217-227
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVE:
		                        			To identify and characterize read-through RNAs and read-through circular RNAs (rt-circ-HS) derived from transcriptional read-through hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) and small nuclear RNA activating complex polypeptide 1 (SNAPC1) the two adjacent genes located on chromosome 14q23, in renal carcinoma cells and renal carcinoma tissues, and to study the effects of rt-circ-HS on biological behavior of renal carcinoma cells and on regulation of HIF1α.
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing were used to examine expression of read-through RNAs HIF1α-SNAPC1 and rt-circ-HS in different tumor cells. Tissue microarrays of 437 different types of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were constructed, and chromogenic in situ hybridization (ISH) was used to investigate expression of rt-circ-HS in different RCC types. Small interference RNA (siRNA) and artificial overexpression plasmids were designed to examine the effects of rt-circ-HS on 786-O and A498 renal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness by cell counting kit 8 (CCK8), EdU incorporation and Transwell cell migration and invasion assays. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to exa-mine expression of HIF1α and SNAPC1 RNA and proteins after interference of rt-circ-HS with siRNA, respectively. The binding of rt-circ-HS with microRNA 539 (miR-539), and miR-539 with HIF1α 3' untranslated region (3' UTR), and the effects of these interactions were investigated by dual luciferase reporter gene assays.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			We discovered a novel 1 144 nt rt-circ-HS, which was derived from read-through RNA HIF1α-SNAPC1 and consisted of HIF1α exon 2-6 and SNAPC1 exon 2-4. Expression of rt-circ-HS was significantly upregulated in 786-O renal carcinoma cells. ISH showed that the overall positive expression rate of rt-circ-HS in RCC tissue samples was 67.5% (295/437), and the expression was different in different types of RCCs. Mechanistically, rt-circ-HS promoted renal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness by functioning as a competitive endogenous inhibitor of miR-539, which we found to be a potent post-transcriptional suppressor of HIF1α, thus promoting expression of HIF1α.
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSION
		                        			The novel rt-circ-HS is highly expressed in different types of RCCs and acts as a competitive endogenous inhibitor of miR-539 to promote expression of its parental gene HIF1α and thus the proliferation, migration and invasion of renal cancer cells.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Hypoxia
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney Neoplasms
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MicroRNAs/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Neoplasm Invasiveness/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Circular/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Small Interfering
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/genetics*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
5.Mechanism of transforming growth factor- β1 induce renal fibrosis based on transcriptome sequencing analysis.
Huanan LI ; Peifen LI ; Shanyi LI ; Xueying ZHANG ; Xinru DONG ; Ming YANG ; Weigan SHEN
Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences 2023;52(5):594-604
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVES:
		                        			To explore the mechanism of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) induce renal fibrosis.
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			Renal fibroblast NRK-49F cells treated with and without TGF-β1 were subjected to RNA-seq analysis. DESeq2 was used for analysis. Differentially expressed genes were screened with the criteria of false discovery rate<0.05 and l o g 2 F C >1. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed for differentially expressed genes. Genes encoding transcription factors were further screened for differential expression genes. Then, the expression of these genes during renal fibrosis was verified using unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced mouse renal fibrosis model and a public gene expression dataset (GSE104954).
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			After TGF-β1 treatment for 6, 12 and 24 h, 552, 1209 and 1028 differentially expressed genes were identified, respectively. GO analysis indicated that these genes were significantly enriched in development, cell death, and cell migration. KEGG pathway analysis showed that in the early stage of TGF-β1 induction (TGF-β1 treatment for 6 h), the changes in Hippo, TGF-β and Wnt signaling pathways were observed, while in the late stage of TGF-β1 induction (TGF-β1 treatment for 24 h), the changes of extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, focal adhesion and adherens junction were mainly enriched. Among the 291 up-regulated differentially expressed genes treated with TGF-β1 for 6 h, 13 genes (Snai1, Irf8, Bhlhe40, Junb, Arid5a, Vdr, Lef1, Ahr, Foxo1, Myc, Tcf7, Foxc2, Glis1) encoded transcription factors. Validation in a cell model showed that TGF-β1 induced expression of 9 transcription factors (encoded by Snai1, Irf8, Bhlhe40, Junb, Arid5a, Vdr, Lef1, Myc, Tcf7), while the expression levels of the other 4 genes did not significantly change after TGF-β1 treatment. Validation results in UUO-induced mouse renal fibrosis model showed that Snai1, Irf8, Bhlhe40, Junb, Arid5a, Myc and Tcf7 were up-regulated after UUO, Vdr was down-regulated and there was no significant change in Lef1. Validation based on the GSE104954 dataset showed that IRF8 was significantly overexpressed in the renal tubulointerstitium of patients with diabetic nephropathy or IgA nephropathy, MYC was highly expressed in diabetic nephropathy, and the expressions of the other 7 genes were not significantly different compared with the control group.
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSIONS
		                        			TGF-β1 induces differentially expressed genes in renal fibroblasts, among which Irf8 and Myc were identified as potential targets of chronic kidney disease and renal fibrosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetic Nephropathies/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transcriptome
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Signal Transduction
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Ureteral Obstruction/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Fibrosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interferon Regulatory Factors
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transcription Factors/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
6.Protective Mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis Treatment on Acute Kidney Injury-Induced Acute Lung Injury through AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway.
Ruo-Lin WANG ; Shu-Hua LIU ; Si-Heng SHEN ; Lu-Yong JIAN ; Qi YUAN ; Hua-Hui GUO ; Jia-Sheng HUANG ; Peng-Hui CHEN ; Ren-Fa HUANG
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2023;29(10):875-884
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVE:
		                        			To investigate protective effect of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) through autophagy-associated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in acute kidney injury (AKI)-induced acute lung injury (ALI).
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups according to a random number table, including the normal saline (NS)-treated sham group (sham group), NS-treated ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) group (IRI group), and low- (5 g/kg·d) and high-dose (10 g/kg·d) CS-treated IRI groups (CS1 and CS2 groups), 12 rats in each group. Nephrectomy of the right kidney was performed on the IRI rat model that was subjected to 60 min of left renal pedicle occlusion followed by 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of reperfusion. The wet-to-dry (W/D) ratio of lung, levels of serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin- β and tumor necrosis factor- α, and biomarkers of oxidative stress such as superoxide dismutase, malonaldehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), were assayed. Histological examinations were conducted to determine damage of tissues in the kidney and lung. The protein expressions of light chain 3 II/light chain 3 I (LC3-II/LC3-I), uncoordinated-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1), P62, AMPK and mTOR were measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			The renal IRI induced pulmonary injury following AKI, resulting in significant increases in W/D ratio of lung, and the levels of Scr, BUN, inflammatory cytokines, MDA and MPO (P<0.01); all of these were reduced in the CS groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the IRI groups, the expression levels of P62 and mTOR were significantly lower (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while those of LC3-II/LC3-I, ULK1, and AMPK were significantly higher in the CS2 group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSION
		                        			CS had a potential in treating lung injury following renal IRI through activation of the autophagy-related AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in AKI-induced ALI.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Male
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		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cordyceps/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Signal Transduction
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Reperfusion Injury/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cytokines/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Acute Lung Injury/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mammals/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
7.Mechanism of Zhenwu Decoction in improving renal inflammatory injury in mice with DN of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome by regulating ROCK/IKK/NF-κB pathway.
Yu-Qiu JIN ; Guang-Shun CHEN ; Min BAI ; Zhe ZHAO ; Yan-Xu CHEN ; Meng-Yuan TIAN ; Jia-Lian CHEN ; Qing-Sheng WANG ; Zhen-Hua LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(18):5041-5048
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			To investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Zhenwu Decoction on diabetic nephropathy(DN) mice of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome based on the Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase(ROCK)/IκB kinase(IKK)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) pathway. Ninety-five 7-week-old db/db male mice and 25 7-week-old db/m male mice were fed adaptively for one week. The DN model of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome was induced by Dahuang Decoction combined with hydrocortisone by gavage, and then the model was evaluated. After modeling, they were randomly divided into a model group, high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose Zhenwu Decoction groups(33.8, 16.9, and 8.45 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and an irbesartan group(25 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), with at least 15 animals in each group. The intervention lasted for eight weeks. After the intervention, body weight and food intake were measured. Serum crea-tinine(Scr), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), fasting blood glucose(FBG), urinary albumin(uALb), and urine creatinine(Ucr) were determined. The uALb/Ucr ratio(ACR) and 24 h urinary protein(UTP) were calculated. Renal pathological morphology was evaluated by HE staining and Masson staining. The levels of key molecular proteins in the ROCK/IKK/NF-κB pathway were detected by Western blot. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-8(IL-8), interleukin-10(IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). Compared with the blank group, the model group showed increased content of BUN, uALb, and SCr, increased values of 24 h UTP and ACR, decreased content of Ucr(P<0.05), enlarged glomeruli, thickened basement membrane, mesangial matrix proliferation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen fiber deposition. The protein expression of ROCK1, ROCK2, IKK, NF-κB, phosphorylated IKK(p-IKK), phosphorylated NF-κB(p-NF-κB), and phosphorylated inhibitor of NF-κB(p-IκB) increased(P<0.05), while the protein expression of inhibitor of NF-κB(IκB) decreased(P<0.05). The levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α increased(P<0.05), while the level of IL-10 decreased(P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the groups with drug treatment showed decreased levels of BUN, uALb, SCr, 24 h UTP, and ACR, increased level of Ucr(P<0.05), and improved renal pathological status to varying degrees. The high-and medium-dose Zhenwu Decoction groups and the irbesartan group showed reduced protein expression of ROCK1, ROCK2, IKK, NF-κB, p-IKK, p-NF-κB, and p-IκB in the kidneys(P<0.05), increased protein expression of IκB(P<0.05), decreased levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α(P<0.05), and increased level of IL-10(P<0.05). Zhenwu Decoction can significantly improve renal function and renal pathological damage in DN mice of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency syndrome, and its specific mechanism may be related to the inhibition of inflammatory response by down-regulating the expression of key molecules in the ROCK/IKK/NF-κB pathway in the kidney.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			NF-kappa B/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interleukin-8
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interleukin-10
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interleukin-6
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			I-kappa B Kinase
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Spleen
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Irbesartan
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Uridine Triphosphate
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Yang Deficiency/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney/pathology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
8.Protective mechanisms of Leontopodium leontopodioides extracts on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute kidney injury viathe NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.
Xue BAI ; Qianqian MA ; Qi LI ; Meizhen YIN ; Ying XIN ; Dong ZHEN ; Chengxi WEI
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2023;21(1):47-57
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Sepsis-induced uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a critical cause of multiple organ failure. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most serious complications associated with an extremely high mortality rate in SIRS, and it lacked simple, safe, and effective treatment strategies. Leontopodium leontopodioides (Willd.) Beauv (LLB) is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of acute and chronic nephritis. However, it remains unclear whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS) affects LPS-induced AKI. To identify the molecular mechanisms of LLB in LPS-induced HK-2 cells and mice, LLB was prepared by extraction with 70% methanol, while a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HK-2 cell model and an AKI model were established in this study. Renal histopathology staining was performed to observe the morphology changes. The cell supernatant and kidney tissues were collected for determining the levels of inflammatory factors and protein expression by ELISA, immunofluorescence, and Western blot. The results indicated that LLB significantly reduced the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in LPS-induced HK-2 cells, as well as the secretion of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β in the supernatant. The same results were observed in LPS-induced AKI serum. Further studies revealed that LLB remarkably improved oxidative stress and apoptosis based on the content of MDA, SOD, and CAT in serum and TUNEL staining results. Notably, LLB significantly reduced the mortality due to LPS infection. Renal histopathology staining results supported these results. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and Western blot results confirmed that LLB significantly reduced the expression of the protein related to the NF-κB signaling pathway and NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase-1 which were significantly increased through LPS stimulation. These findings clearly demonstrated the potential use of LLB in the treatment of AKI and the crucial role of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in the process through which LLB attenuates AKI induced by LPS.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			NF-kappa B/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Interleukin-6/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/pathology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
9.Innate immune checkpoint Siglec10 in cancers: mining of comprehensive omics data and validation in patient samples.
Chen ZHANG ; Jiandong ZHANG ; Fan LIANG ; Han GUO ; Sanhui GAO ; Fuying YANG ; Hua GUO ; Guizhen WANG ; Wei WANG ; Guangbiao ZHOU
Frontiers of Medicine 2022;16(4):596-609
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin 10 (Siglec10) is a member of innate immune checkpoints that inhibits the activation of immune cells through the interaction with its ligand CD24 on tumor cells. Here, by analyzing public databases containing 64 517 patients of 33 cancer types, we found that the expression of Siglec10 was altered in 18 types of cancers and was associated with the clinical outcomes of 11 cancer types. In particular, Siglec10 was upregulated in patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and was inversely associated with the prognosis of the patients. In 131 KIRC patients of our settings, Siglec10 was elevated in the tumor tissues of 83 (63.4%) patients compared with that in their counterpart normal kidney tissues. Moreover, higher level of Siglec10 was associated with advanced disease (stages III and IV) and worse prognosis. Silencing of CD24 in KIRC cells significantly increased the number of Siglec10-expressing macrophages phagocytosing KIRC cells. In addition, luciferase activity assays suggested that Siglec10 was a potential target of the transcription factors c-FOS and GATA1, which were identified by data mining. These results demonstrate that Siglec10 may have important oncogenic functions in KIRC, and represents a novel target for the development of immunotherapies.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Immunity, Innate
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney Neoplasms/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Lectins/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Prognosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Receptors, Cell Surface/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
10.CK7+/CD117- low grade oncocytic tumor of the kidney: a clinicopathological analysis.
Yan Feng BAI ; Cheng Dong CHANG ; Bo WANG ; Ming ZHAO ; Xiao Dong TENG
Chinese Journal of Pathology 2022;51(10):976-980
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics of low grade oncocytic tumors (LOT) of the kidney with CK7+/CD117- staining pattern for enhancing the understanding of renal LOT. Methods: The clinical data, histological morphology and immunophenotypes of seven renal LOT cases diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2017 to April 2021 were analyzed. The patients were followed up. Among the seven patients, five underwent high-throughput DNA targeted sequencing, and their molecular characteristics were analyzed. Results: The patients' age ranged 59-82 years, with an average of 70 years. There were 2 males and 5 females. The boundary of the tumor was clear. The tumor cells had homogeneous eosinophilic cytoplasm and round or oval nuclei, with a perinuclear halo. Small basophilic nucleoli were conspicuous (WHO/International Society of Urological Pathology grade 2). In the hypercellular areas, the tumor cells were mainly arranged in dense solid or nest. In the stroma, there were dilated veins, thick-walled arterioles and thick collagen fiber bundles that divided the cells into pseudonodules. In the sparsely cellular area, the tumor cells were arranged in the so-called "tissue culture" fashion. In addition, the stroma contained fresh hemorrhagic foci and lymphoid aggregates. High-throughput sequencing of 5 cases revealed that one case harbored mTOR gene missense mutation and another case harbored TSC1 frameshift mutation. Conclusions: LOT of the kidney is an indolent tumor with an overall good prognosis. Pathologists should not misdiagnose it as renal oncocytoma and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Adenoma, Oxyphilic/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Aged
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Aged, 80 and over
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Collagen
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Female
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Immunohistochemistry
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Kidney Neoplasms/pathology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Middle Aged
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
            
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