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Min S, Chang D, Wang YC, Xu TT, Ge H, Zhang J, Wang B, Ju S. Novel small-molecule compound VCP979 attenuates renal fibrosis in male rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2023; 248:327-338. [PMID: 36715096 PMCID: PMC10159523 DOI: 10.1177/15353702221147569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Renal fibrosis is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease, while efficient therapy against renal fibrosis is still lacking. In this study, we investigated the role of a novel small-molecule compound VCP979 on renal fibrosis and inflammation in a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). One week after the UUO surgery, rats were administered VCP979 by gavage for one week, and after treatment, magnetic resonance imaging of T1rho mapping and histopathological analysis were performed to evaluate renal fibrosis in vivo and ex vivo. This study showed that treatment with VCP979 effectively reduced renal fibrosis, extracellular matrix accumulation, and alleviated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in UUO rats, as well as improved renal function. In vivo T1rho mapping displayed increased T1rho values in the UUO rats, which was decreased after VCP979 treatment, and a positive correlation was detected between the T1rho values and the percentage of fibrotic area. Moreover, the administration of VCP979 also ameliorated the inflammatory cytokines expression and the infiltration of macrophages in renal tissues. Mechanistically, VCP979 treatment inhibited the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor-kappa B, and transforming growth factor-β1/Smads signaling pathways. These results indicated that VCP979 could be an effective therapeutic agent for alleviating renal fibrosis and inflammation in the rat model of UUO via its antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shudan Min
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Di Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuan-Cheng Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ting-Ting Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hong Ge
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jilei Zhang
- Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Binghui Wang
- Biomarker Discovery Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.,Monash Centre of Cardiovascular Research and Education in Therapeutics, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Shenghong Ju
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
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