Project description:Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) associated with multiple metabolic diseases and administration of Akk can improve the metabolic disorders. However, little is known about the effect of Akk on jejunal epithelial cells which absorb lipid and interact with oral administrated Akk. We oral administrated Akk to mice and measured the lipid absorption and gene expression in small intestinal epithelial cells. The long-term effect of Akk treatment reduced lipid deposits in the liver and adipocytes with improved the glucose metabolism. This is particularly caused by reduced lipid absorption in jejunal epithelia. Akk feeding reduced the expression of those genes that regulate synthesis and cell cycles, characters of the host cell responding to energy deficiency. In fact, we detected increased AMPK-alpha phosphorylation levels in Akk-treated jejunal epithelial cells both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, activating AMPK inhibits lipids absorption in jejunum. Thus, we conclude that oral administration of Akk activates the AMPK pathway and represses the lipid absorption in jejunal epithelial cells, which contributes to the metabolic benefits of oral Akk administration.
Project description:16S rRNA sequencing showed that Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) decreased during the course of HCC tumor development, and daily administration of Akk not only ameliorated liver steatosis and cholesterol biosynthesis but also effectively attenuated the development of NAFLD-induced HCC.
Project description:Neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a co-receptor for various cytokines, including TGF-β, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target for fibrosis. However, its role and mechanism in renal fibrosis remains elusive. Here, we show that NRP1 is upregulated in distal tubular (DT) cells of patients with transplant renal insufficiency and mice with renal ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. Knockout of Nrp1 reduced multiple endpoints of renal injury and fibrosis. We found that Nrp1 facilitates the binding of TNF-α to its receptor in DT cells after renal injury. This signaling results in a downregulation of lysine crotonylation of the metabolic enzyme Cox4i1, decreased cellular energetics and exacerbation of renal injury. Furthermore, by single-cell RNA-sequencing we found that Nrp1-positive DT cells secrete collagen and communicate with myofibroblasts, exacerbating acute kidney injury (AKI)-induced renal fibrosis by activating Smad3. Dual genetic deletion of Nrp1 and Tgfbr1 in DT cells better improves renal injury and fibrosis than either single knockout. Together, these results reveal that targeting of NRP1 represents a promising strategy for the treatment of AKI and subsequent chronic kidney disease
Project description:Neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a co-receptor for various cytokines, including TGF-β, has been identified as a potential therapeutic target for fibrosis. However, its role and mechanism in renal fibrosis remains elusive. Here, we show that NRP1 is upregulated in distal tubular (DT) cells of patients with transplant renal insufficiency and mice with renal ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. Knockout of Nrp1 reduced multiple endpoints of renal injury and fibrosis. We found that Nrp1 facilitates the binding of TNF-α to its receptor in DT cells after renal injury. This signaling results in a downregulation of lysine crotonylation of the metabolic enzyme Cox4i1, decreased cellular energetics and exacerbation of renal injury. Furthermore, by single-cell RNA-sequencing we found that Nrp1-positive DT cells secrete collagen and communicate with myofibroblasts, exacerbating acute kidney injury (AKI)-induced renal fibrosis by activating Smad3. Dual genetic deletion of Nrp1 and Tgfbr1 in DT cells better improves renal injury and fibrosis than either single knockout. Together, these results reveal that targeting of NRP1 represents a promising strategy for the treatment of AKI and subsequent chronic kidney disease.
Project description:8 week-old male C57BL6J mice were given Gram-negative endotoxin (LPS O111:B4, 10 mg/kg) intraperitoneally at time 0. 18 hrs thereafter, they were administered 10 ml/kg 0.9% saline. Mice were sacrificed at 0, 18, or 42 hrs after LPS challenge. Kidneys were immediately collected into TRIzol for RNA preparation. Renal function was measured on blood collected at the time of tissue harvest At t=0hr, mice had normal baseline renal function. At t=18hr, mice exhibited early renal injury, At t=42hr, mice had either recovered normal renal function or had persistent renal injury. We collected kidneys from 3 mice per time point. For the 42 hr time point, we collected kidneys from 3 mice with recovered renal function and kidneys from 3 mice with persistent renal injury. Mouse kidneys selected at successive stages of renal injury and recovery following systemic LPS challenge and volume resuscitation following LPS challenge.
Project description:Using renal ischemia-reperfusion injury as a model of acute kidney injury, we deteremined temporally-released miRNAs released in urinary exosomes during the injury
Project description:Ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced acute kidney injury is a major cause of chronic kidney disease, lacking effective interventions. We found elevated HNF3α (also known as FOXA1) expression in CKD patients, which correlated with collagen deposition, serum creatinine, and urea levels. Conditional knockout of HNF3α in renal tubular epithelial cells protected against IRI-induced renal fibrosis in vivo. To explore the mechanisms by which HNF3α promotes renal fibrosis, we analyse the genome-wide target sites of HNF3α using CUT&Tag sequencing.
Project description:Congenital obstructive nephropathy is a common cause of chronic kidney disease and a leading indication for renal transplant in children. The cellular and molecular responses of the kidney to congenital obstruction are incompletely characterized. In this study, we evaluated global transcription in kidneys with graded hydronephrosis in the megabladder (mgb-/-) mouse to better understand the pathophysiology of congenital obstructive nephropathy. Three primary pathways associated with kidney remodeling/repair were induced in mgb-/- kidneys independent of the degree of hydronephrosis. These pathways included retinoid signaling, steroid hormone metabolism, and renal response to injury. Urothelial proliferation and the expression of genes with roles in the integrity and maintenance of the renal urothelium were selectively increased in mgb-/- kidneys. Ngal/Lcn2, a marker of acute kidney injury, was elevated in 36% of kidneys with higher grades of hydronephrosis. Evaluation of Ngalhigh versus Ngallow kidneys identified the expression of several novel candidate markers of renal injury. This study indicates that the development of progressive hydronephrosis in mgb-/- mice results in renal adaptation that includes significant changes in the morphology and potential functionality of the renal urothelium. These observations will permit the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutic approaches to progressive renal injury in the context of congenital obstruction. Gene expression was measured in control, mild, moderate and severely hydronephrotic megabladder mouse kidneys. A total of 6 control kidneys were compared to 18 mutant kidneys from age-matched male animals.