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Tawengi M, Al-Dali Y, Tawengi A, Benter IF, Akhtar S. Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB) for the potential treatment of renal pathologies. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1394997. [PMID: 39234105 PMCID: PMC11373609 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1394997] [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: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is referred to as ErbB1/HER1, is the prototype of the EGFR family of receptor tyrosine kinases which also comprises ErbB2 (Neu, HER2), ErbB3 (HER3), and ErbB4 (HER4). EGFR, along with other ErbBs, is expressed in the kidney tubules and is physiologically involved in nephrogenesis and tissue repair, mainly following acute kidney injury. However, its sustained activation is linked to several kidney pathologies, including diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephropathy, glomerulonephritis, chronic kidney disease, and renal fibrosis. This review aims to provide a summary of the recent findings regarding the consequences of EGFR activation in several key renal pathologies. We also discuss the potential interplay between EGFR and the reno-protective angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7), a heptapeptide member of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system that counter-regulates the actions of angiotensin II. Ang-(1-7)-mediated inhibition of EGFR transactivation might represent a potential mechanism of action for its renoprotection. Our review suggests that there is a significant body of evidence supporting the potential inhibition of EGFR/ErbB, and/or administration of Ang-(1-7), as potential novel therapeutic strategies in the treatment of renal pathologies. Thus, EGFR inhibitors such as Gefitinib and Erlinotib that have an acceptable safety profile and have been clinically used in cancer chemotherapy since their FDA approval in the early 2000s, might be considered for repurposing in the treatment of renal pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Tawengi
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Yazan Al-Dali
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Ibrahim F Benter
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Final International University, Kyrenia, Cyprus
| | - Saghir Akhtar
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Postalcioglu M, Scherzer R, Ix JH, Jacobs DR, Lewis CE, Vaigankar S, Estrella MM, Gutierrez OM, Shlipak MG. Urine Epidermal Growth Factor and Kidney Function Decline in Middle-Aged Adults. Kidney Med 2024; 6:100846. [PMID: 38966683 PMCID: PMC11222796 DOI: 10.1016/j.xkme.2024.100846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Rationale & Objective The diagnosis and prognostication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) largely rely on glomerular measures that may not reflect tubular damage. We investigated the associations of urine kidney tubule biomarkers with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) change among middle-aged adults, when chronic diseases typically emerge. Study Design An observational cohort study. Setting & Participants A total of 1,145 participants of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study without CKD, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease at the year 20 visit. Exposures Seven different biomarkers of tubular health: urine epidermal growth factor (EGF), alpha-1-microglobulin (α1m), interleukin-18, kidney injury molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, uromodulin, and chitinase-3-like protein 1. Outcomes Ten-year eGFR change and incident reduced eGFR (new onset of eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Analytical Approach We examined associations of tubular health biomarkers with 10-year eGFR change and incident reduced eGFR with linear mixed models and interval-censored proportional hazards regression models, respectively. Both minimally and fully adjusted models were controlled for urine creatinine levels. Results The mean age of participants was 44.8 ± 3.7 years, with 39% African American and 56% female. The average 10-year change in eGFR was -18.6 mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI, -19.4 to -17.8). In contrast to the other tubular biomarkers, which showed conflicting results, EGF demonstrated strong, consistent associations with both kidney outcomes. Each 1-standard deviation (SD) higher EGF was associated with a 2.37 mL/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI, 0.64-4.10) smaller 10-year decrease in eGFR and a 42% (95% CI, 4%-64%) lower risk of incident reduced eGFR in the fully adjusted model. Limitations Observational design, measurements of eGFR were done only at 5-year intervals during follow-up. Conclusions In middle-aged, community-dwelling adults without hypertension, cardiovascular disease or CKD, higher urine EGF concentrations are associated with slower eGFR decline, whereas other kidney tubule biomarkers lacked a consistent association with kidney function decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Postalcioglu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA
- Kidney Health Research Collaborative, San Francisco VA Health Care System & University of California, San Francisco, CA
| | - Rebecca Scherzer
- Kidney Health Research Collaborative, San Francisco VA Health Care System & University of California, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Joachim H. Ix
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
- Nephrology Section, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
| | - David R. Jacobs
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Cora E. Lewis
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Sucheta Vaigankar
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | - Michelle M. Estrella
- Kidney Health Research Collaborative, San Francisco VA Health Care System & University of California, San Francisco, CA
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
| | - Orlando M. Gutierrez
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Michael G. Shlipak
- Kidney Health Research Collaborative, San Francisco VA Health Care System & University of California, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
- Department Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA
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Zhu J, Xiang X, Shi L, Song Z, Dong Z. Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Cold Storage-associated Kidney Transplantation. Transplantation 2024:00007890-990000000-00730. [PMID: 38632678 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000005016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although it is acknowledged that ischemia-reperfusion injury is the primary pathology of cold storage-associated kidney transplantation, its underlying mechanism is not well elucidated. METHODS To extend the understanding of molecular events and mine hub genes posttransplantation, we performed bulk RNA sequencing at different time points (24 h, day 7, and day 14) on a murine kidney transplantation model with prolonged cold storage (10 h). RESULTS In the present study, we showed that genes related to the regulation of apoptotic process, DNA damage response, cell cycle/proliferation, and inflammatory response were steadily elevated at 24 h and day 7. The upregulated gene profiling delicately transformed to extracellular matrix organization and fibrosis at day 14. It is prominent that metabolism-associated genes persistently took the first place among downregulated genes. The gene ontology terms of particular note to enrich are fatty acid oxidation and mitochondria energy metabolism. Correspondingly, the key enzymes of the above processes were the products of hub genes as recognized. Moreover, we highlighted the proximal tubular cell-specific increased genes at 24 h by combining the data with public RNA-Seq performed on proximal tubules. We also focused on ferroptosis-related genes and fatty acid oxidation genes to show profound gene dysregulation in kidney transplantation. CONCLUSIONS The comprehensive characterization of transcriptomic analysis may help provide diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in kidney transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiefu Zhu
- Department of Transplantation, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and Charlie Norwood Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, GA
| | - Xiaohong Xiang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lang Shi
- Department of Nephrology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhixia Song
- Department of Nephrology, The First Clinical Medical College of Three Gorges University, Center People's Hospital of Yichang, Yichang, Hubei, China
| | - Zheng Dong
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and Charlie Norwood Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, GA
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Dong Z, Chen F, Peng S, Liu X, Liu X, Guo L, Wang E, Chen X. Identification of the key immune-related genes and immune cell infiltration changes in renal interstitial fibrosis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1207444. [PMID: 38027143 PMCID: PMC10663291 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1207444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the third-leading cause of premature mortality worldwide. It is characterized by rapid deterioration due to renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) via excessive inflammatory infiltration. The aim of this study was to discover key immune-related genes (IRGs) to provide valuable insights and therapeutic targets for RIF in CKD. Materials and methods We screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between RIF samples from CKD patients and healthy controls from a public database. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were applied to identify significant key biomarkers. The single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was used to analyze the infiltration of immune cells between the RIF and control samples. The correlation between biomarkers and immune cell composition was assessed. Results A total of 928 DEGs between CKD and control samples from six microarray datasets were found, 17 overlapping immune-correlated DEGs were identified by integration with the ImmPort database, and six IRGs were finally identified in the model: apolipoprotein H (APOH), epidermal growth factor (EGF), lactotransferrin (LTF), lysozyme (LYZ), phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP), and secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor (SLPI). Two additional datasets and in vivo experiments indicated that the expression levels of APOH and EGF in the fibrosis group were significantly lower than those in the control group, while the expression levels of LTF, LYZ, PLTP, and SLPI were higher (all P < 0.05). These IRGs also showed a significant correlation with renal function impairment. Moreover, four upregulated IRGs were positively associated with various T cell populations, which were enriched in RIF tissues, whereas two downregulated IRGs had opposite results. Several signaling pathways, such as the "T cell receptor signaling pathway" and "positive regulation of NF-κB signaling pathway", were discovered to be associated not only with immune cell infiltration, but also with the expression levels of six IRGs. Conclusion In summary, six IRGs were identified as key biomarkers for RIF, and exhibited a strong correlation with various T cells and with the NF-κB signaling pathway. All these IRGs and their signaling pathways may evolve as valuable therapeutic targets for RIF in CKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhitao Dong
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fangzhi Chen
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shuang Peng
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiongfei Liu
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xingyang Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lizhe Guo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - E. Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders (Xiangya Hospital), Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders (Xiangya Hospital), Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Yang K, Du G, Liu J, Zhao S, Dong W. Gut microbiota and neonatal acute kidney injury biomarkers. Pediatr Nephrol 2023; 38:3529-3547. [PMID: 36997773 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-023-05931-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
One of the most frequent issues in newborns is acute kidney injury (AKI), which can lengthen their hospital stay or potentially raise their chance of dying. The gut-kidney axis establishes a bidirectional interplay between gut microbiota and kidney illness, particularly AKI, and demonstrates the importance of gut microbiota to host health. Since the ability to predict neonatal AKI using blood creatinine and urine output as evaluation parameters is somewhat constrained, a number of interesting biomarkers have been developed. There are few in-depth studies on the relationships between these neonatal AKI indicators and gut microbiota. In order to gain fresh insights into the gut-kidney axis of neonatal AKI, this review is based on the gut-kidney axis and describes relationships between gut microbiota and neonatal AKI biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Guoxia Du
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Jinjing Liu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Shuai Zhao
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Wenbin Dong
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China.
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Luo M, Cao S, Lv D, He L, He Z, Li L, Li Y, Luo S, Chang Q. Aerobic Exercise Training Improves Renal Injury in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Increasing Renalase Expression in Medulla. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:922705. [PMID: 35898283 PMCID: PMC9309879 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.922705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to examine the effects of aerobic exercise training on renal function in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and elucidate their possible mechanisms. Adult male SHR and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were divided into four groups: WKY sedentary group, SHR sedentary group, low-intensity training group, and medium-intensity training group. Using molecular and biochemical approaches, we investigated the effects of 14-week training on renalase (RNLS) protein levels, renal function, and apoptosis and oxidative stress modulators in kidney tissues. In vitro, angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced human kidney proximal epithelial cells (HK-2) were treated with RNLS, and changes in apoptosis and oxidative stress levels were observed. Our results show that moderate training improved renal function decline in SHR. In addition, aerobic exercise therapy significantly increased levels of RNLS in the renal medulla of SHR. We observed in vitro that RNLS significantly inhibited the increase of Ang II-inducedapoptosis and oxidative stress levels in HK-2. In conclusion, aerobic exercise training effectively improved renal function in SHR by promoting RNLS expression in the renal medulla. These results explain the possible mechanism in which exercise improves renal injury in hypertensive patients and suggest RNLS as a novel therapy for kidney injury patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghao Luo
- The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Shuyuan Cao
- The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dingyi Lv
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Longlin He
- The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhou He
- The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lingang Li
- The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongjian Li
- The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Suxin Luo
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Qing Chang
- The Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- The College of Exercise Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Qing Chang
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