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Cybulsky AV, Papillon J, Guillemette J, Navarro-Betancourt JR, Chung CF, Iwawaki T, Fantus IG. Deletion of IRE1α in podocytes exacerbates diabetic nephropathy in mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11718. [PMID: 38778209 PMCID: PMC11111796 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62599-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of podocytes contributes to the pathogenesis of glomerular diseases. Protein misfolding activates the unfolded protein response (UPR), a compensatory signaling network. We address the role of the UPR and the UPR transducer, inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in mice. Diabetes caused progressive albuminuria in control mice that was exacerbated in podocyte-specific IRE1α knockout (KO) mice. Compared to diabetic controls, diabetic IRE1α KO mice showed reductions in podocyte number and synaptopodin. Glomerular ultrastructure was altered only in diabetic IRE1α KO mice; the major changes included widening of podocyte foot processes and glomerular basement membrane. Activation of the UPR and autophagy was evident in diabetic control, but not diabetic IRE1α KO mice. Analysis of human glomerular gene expression in the JuCKD-Glom database demonstrated induction of genes associated with the ER, UPR and autophagy in diabetic nephropathy. Thus, mice with podocyte-specific deletion of IRE1α demonstrate more severe diabetic nephropathy and attenuation of the glomerular UPR and autophagy, implying a protective effect of IRE1α. These results are consistent with data in human diabetic nephropathy and highlight the potential for therapeutically targeting these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey V Cybulsky
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Joan Papillon
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julie Guillemette
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - José R Navarro-Betancourt
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Chen-Fang Chung
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Takao Iwawaki
- Department of Life Science, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Japan
| | - I George Fantus
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Chung CF, Papillon J, Navarro-Betancourt JR, Guillemette J, Bhope A, Emad A, Cybulsky AV. Analysis of gene expression and use of connectivity mapping to identify drugs for treatment of human glomerulopathies. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1122328. [PMID: 36993805 PMCID: PMC10042326 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1122328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundHuman glomerulonephritis (GN)—membranous nephropathy (MN), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN), as well as diabetic nephropathy (DN) are leading causes of chronic kidney disease. In these glomerulopathies, distinct stimuli disrupt metabolic pathways in glomerular cells. Other pathways, including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy, are activated in parallel to attenuate cell injury or promote repair.MethodsWe used publicly available datasets to examine gene transcriptional pathways in glomeruli of human GN and DN and to identify drugs.ResultsWe demonstrate that there are many common genes upregulated in MN, FSGS, IgAN, and DN. Furthermore, these glomerulopathies were associated with increased expression of ER/UPR and autophagy genes, a significant number of which were shared. Several candidate drugs for treatment of glomerulopathies were identified by relating gene expression signatures of distinct drugs in cell culture with the ER/UPR and autophagy genes upregulated in the glomerulopathies (“connectivity mapping”). Using a glomerular cell culture assay that correlates with glomerular damage in vivo, we showed that one candidate drug – neratinib (an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor) is cytoprotective.ConclusionThe UPR and autophagy are activated in multiple types of glomerular injury. Connectivity mapping identified candidate drugs that shared common signatures with ER/UPR and autophagy genes upregulated in glomerulopathies, and one of these drugs attenuated injury of glomerular cells. The present study opens the possibility for modulating the UPR or autophagy pharmacologically as therapy for GN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Fang Chung
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Joan Papillon
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Julie Guillemette
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ameya Bhope
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Amin Emad
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrey V. Cybulsky
- Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre Research Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Andrey V. Cybulsky,
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