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Li C, Zhong H, Ma J, Liang Z, Zhang L, Liu T, Fan W. Notoginsenoside R1 can inhibit the interaction between FGF1 and VEGFA to retard podocyte apoptosis. BMC Endocr Disord 2023; 23:140. [PMID: 37415174 DOI: 10.1186/s12902-023-01402-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a chronic condition resulting from microangiopathy in a high-glucose environment. The evaluation of vascular injury in DN has primarily focused on active molecules of VEGF, namely VEGFA and VEGF2(F2R). Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1), a traditional anti-inflammatory medication, exhibits vascular activity. Therefore, identifying classical drugs with vascular inflammatory protection for the treatment of DN is a valuable pursuit. METHODS The "Limma" method was employed to analyze the glomerular transcriptome data, while the Spearman algorithm for Swiss target prediction was utilized to analyze the drug targets of NGR1. The molecular docking technique was employed to investigate the relationship between vascular active drug targets, and the COIP experiment was conducted to verify the interaction between fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) and VEGFA in relation to NGR1 and drug targets. RESULTS According to the Swiss target prediction, the LEU32(b) site of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) protein, as well as the Lys112(a), SER116(a), and HIS102(b) sites of the Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 (FGF1) protein, are potential binding sites for NGR1 through hydrogen bonding. Additionally, the Co-immunoprecipitation (COIP) results suggest that VEGFA and FGF1 proteins can interact with each other, and NGR1 can impede this interaction. Furthermore, NGR1 can suppress the expression of VEGFA and FGF1 in a high-glucose environment, thereby decelerating podocyte apoptosis. CONCLUSION The inhibition of the interaction between FGF1 and VEGFA by NGR1 has been observed to decelerate podocyte apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- ChangYan Li
- Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, No.295, Xichang Road, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650032, China
| | - HuaChen Zhong
- First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650032, China
| | - JingYuan Ma
- Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, No.295, Xichang Road, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650032, China
| | - Zhang Liang
- Department of Science and Technology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650500, China
| | - Le Zhang
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- Organ Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650032, China
| | - WenXing Fan
- Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, No.295, Xichang Road, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650032, China.
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Aiello FB, Ranelletti FO, Liberatore M, Felaco P, De Luca G, Lamolinara A, Schena FP, Bonomini M. Independent Prognostic and Predictive Role of Interstitial Macrophages in Kidney Biopsies of IgA Nephropathy Patients. J Pers Med 2023; 13:935. [PMID: 37373924 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13060935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A relevant percentage of IgAN patients experience a progressive decline in kidney function. According to the KDIGO guidelines, proteinuria and eGFR are the only validated prognostic markers. The role of interstitial macrophages in kidney biopsies of IgAN patients and the outcome of patients treated with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASBs) alone or combined with glucocorticoids were evaluated. Clinical and laboratory records (age, gender, hypertension, hematuria, proteinuria, eGFR, serum creatinine, and therapy), MEST-C parameters of the Oxford classification, C4d deposition, peritubular capillaries, and glomerular and interstitial macrophages in 47 IgAN patients undergoing kidney biopsy consecutively between 2003 and 2016 were examined. A high number of interstitial macrophages significantly correlated with peritubular capillary rarefaction and impairment of kidney function. Cox's multivariable regression analysis revealed that a value > 19.5 macrophages/HPF behaved as an independent marker of an unfavorable outcome. Patients exhibiting > 19.5 macrophages/HPF treated at the time of diagnosis with RASBs combined with methylprednisolone had an estimated probability of a favorable outcome higher than patients treated with RASBs alone. Thus, a value > 19.5 macrophages/HPF in IgAN biopsies can predict an unfavorable outcome and endorse a well-timed administration of glucocorticoids. Studies evaluating urine biomarkers associated with peritubular capillary rarefaction in patients with marked macrophage infiltration may help personalized treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Bianca Aiello
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | - Paolo Felaco
- UOC Nephrology and Dialysis PO, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Graziano De Luca
- Graziano De Luca UO Clinical Pathology, Val Vibrata Hospital, 64027 Sant'Omero, Italy
| | - Alessia Lamolinara
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesco Paolo Schena
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Schena Foundation, Valenzano, 70010 Bari, Italy
| | - Mario Bonomini
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
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Guo Y, Yuan Z, Hu Z, Gao Y, Guo H, Zhu H, Hong K, Cen K, Mai Y, Bai Y, Yang X. Diagnostic model constructed by five EMT-related genes for renal fibrosis and reflecting the condition of immune-related cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1161436. [PMID: 37266443 PMCID: PMC10229861 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1161436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Renal fibrosis is a physiological and pathological characteristic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end-stage renal disease. Since renal biopsy is the gold standard for evaluating renal fibrosis, there is an urgent need for additional non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers. Methods We used R package "limma" to screen out differently expressed genes (DEGs) based on Epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), and carried out the protein interaction network and GO, KEGG enrichment analysis of DEGs. Secondly, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), random forest tree (RF), and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithms were used to identify candidate diagnostic genes. ROC curves were plotted to evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of these genes. In addition, mRNA expression levels of candidate diagnostic genes were analyzed in control samples and renal fibrosis samples. CIBERSORT algorithm was used to evaluate immune cells level. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and drug sensitivity were conducted. Results After obtaining a total of 24 DEGs, we discovered that they were mostly involved in several immunological and inflammatory pathways, including NF-KappaB signaling, AGE-RAGE signaling, and TNF signaling. Five genes (COL4A2, CXCL1, TIMP1, VCAM1, and VEGFA) were subsequently identified as biomarkers for renal fibrosis through machine learning, and their expression levels were confirmed by validation cohort data sets and in vitro RT-qPCR experiment. The AUC values of these five genes demonstrated significant clinical diagnostic value in both the training and validation sets. After that, CIBERSORT analysis showed that these biomarkers were strongly associated with immune cell content in renal fibrosis patients. GSEA also identifies the potential roles of these diagnostic genes. Additionally, diagnostic candidate genes were found to be closely related to drug sensitivity. Finally, a nomogram for diagnosing renal fibrosis was developed. Conclusion COL4A2, CXCL1, TIMP1, VCAM1, and VEGFA are promising diagnostic biomarkers of tissue and serum for renal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Guo
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Ziwei Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zujian Hu
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hangcheng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hengyue Zhu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Kai Hong
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Kenan Cen
- The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yifeng Mai
- The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yongheng Bai
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xuejia Yang
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Feng S, Huang N, Xue M, Zhang P, Zhong Z, Guo Q, Li Z. Association between urinary VEGFA and renal pathology of IgA nephropathy patients. J Clin Lab Anal 2021; 35:e23995. [PMID: 34498313 PMCID: PMC8551689 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Renal biopsy remains the golden standard for diagnosing and monitoring IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was crucial for the survival of glomerular cells. Our aim was to screen the expression pattern of urinary, circulating and renal VEGFA in IgAN patients to reveal their relationship with renal pathology and outcomes. METHODS Baseline VEGFA levels were determined with ELISA, real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Associations between VEGFA expression and clinical-pathological parameters, and renal outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, urinary VEGFA level was obviously elevated in IgAN patients (76.19 ± 63.67 pg/mg Cr vs 146.67 ± 232.71 pg/mg Cr, p = 0.0291) and not correlated with serum VEGFA level. Baseline urinary VEGFA was significantly associated with gender and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis by stepwise multivariate regression analysis. Urinary VEGFA was higher in male patients accompanied with higher serum creatinine, larger proportion of hypertension and recurrent hematuria than in female patients. In the kidney of IgAN patients, VEGFA were robustly expressed in the parietal epithelial cells, podocytes, mesangial cells and tubular epithelial cells. After a follow-up duration of 38.53 ± 27.14 months, IgAN patients with higher urinary VEGFA level were found to have a poorer renal outcome of renal replacement therapy (HR = 1.027, p = 0.037) or composite outcome (HR = 1.023, p = 0.039) after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS Increased urinary VEGFA might reflect certain renal pathology and, although not fully specific, still could be served as a valuable noninvasive indicator in predicting renal progression of IgAN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaozhen Feng
- Department of NephrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of NephrologyGuangzhouChina
| | - Naya Huang
- Department of NephrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of NephrologyGuangzhouChina
| | - Miaorong Xue
- Department of NephrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of NephrologyGuangzhouChina
| | - Puhua Zhang
- Department of NephrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of NephrologyGuangzhouChina
| | - Zhong Zhong
- Department of NephrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of NephrologyGuangzhouChina
| | - Qunying Guo
- Department of NephrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of NephrologyGuangzhouChina
| | - Zhijian Li
- Department of NephrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of NephrologyGuangzhouChina
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