Sphingosine kinase 1 mediates AGEs-induced fibronectin upregulation in diabetic nephropathy

Activation of sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) signaling pathway mediates fibronectin (FN) upregulation in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) under high glucose (HG) condition. However, the roles of SphK1 in advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-induced DN have not been elucidated. Here we show that AGEs upregulated FN and SphK1 and SphK1 activity. Inhibition of SphK1 signaling attenuated AGEs-induced FN synthesis in GMCs. Inhibition of AGE receptor (RAGE) signaling reduced the upregulation of FN and SphK1 and SphK1 activity in GMCs induced by AGEs. Treatment of aminoguanidine ameliorates the renal injury and fibrosis in STZ-induced diabetic mice and attenuated SphK1 expression and activity in diabetic mouse kidneys. The renal injury and fibrosis in diabetic SphK1^-/- mice was significantly attenuated than WT mice. Furthermore, AGEs upregulated SphK1 by reducing its degradation and prolonging its half-life. Conclusion: SphK1 mediates AGEs-induced FN synthesis in GMCs and diabetic mice under hyperglycemic condition.

Berberine ameliorates experimental diabetes-induced renal inflammation and fibronectin by inhibiting the activation of RhoA/ROCK signaling

The accumulation of glomerular extracellular matrix proteins, especially fibronectin (FN), is a critical pathological characteristic of diabetic renal fibrosis. Inflammation mediated by nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). RhoA/ROCK signaling is responsible for FN accumulation and NF-κB activation. Berberine (BBR) treatment significantly inhibited renal inflammation and thus improved renal damage in diabetes. Here, we study whether BBR inhibits FN accumulation and NF-κB activation by inhibiting RhoA/ROCK signaling and the underlying mechanisms involved. Results showed that BBR effectively inhibited RhoA/ROCK signaling activation in diabetic rat kidneys and high glucose-induced glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) and simultaneously down-regulated NF-κB activity, which was accompanied by reduced intercellular adhesionmolecule-1, transforming growth factor-beta 1 and FN overproduction. Furthermore, we observed that BBR abrogated high glucose-mediated reactive oxygen species generation in GMCs. BBR and N-acetylcysteine inhibited RhoA/ROCK signaling activation in high glucose-exposed GMCs. Collectively, our data suggest that the renoprotective effect of BBR on DN partly depends on RhoA/ROCK inhibition. The anti-oxidative stress effect of BBR is responsible for RhoA/ROCK inhibition in DN.

Sirt1 resists advanced glycation end products-induced expressions of fibronectin and TGF-β1 by activating the Nrf2/ARE pathway in glomerular mesangial cells

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) boost the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs), and thereby play important roles in diabetic nephropathy (DN). Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), a protein deacetylase, is known to markedly protect cells from oxidative stress (OSS) injury. Based on the critical involvements of AGEs and Sirt1 in OSS, Sirt1 is postulated to resist AGEs-induced diabetic renal fibrosis through its antioxidative effects. The current study was designed to explore the inhibitory effect of Sirt1 on the expressions of fibronectin (FN) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) induced by AGEs in GMCs. The molecular mechanism by which Sirt1 promoted the activation of the antioxidative pathway was further investigated. The following findings were obtained: (1) the treatment of GMCs with AGEs decreased Sirt1 levels in terms of protein expression and activity but increased FN and TGF-β1 levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner; (2) resveratrol or Sirt1 overexpression markedly increased Sirt1 levels and reduced FN and TGF-β1 expressions; (3) inhibition of Sirt1 activity further induced the productions of FN and TGF-β1; (4) Sirt1 promoted the nuclear accumulation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activities of Nrf2 and upregulated the expressions of Nrf2 downstream genes, heme oxygenase-1, and superoxide dismutase 1; ROS levels induced by AGEs eventually reduced in a deacetylase-dependent manner; and (5) with the deposition of AGEs in the kidneys, the diabetic rats suffered severe renal dysfunction and high OSS levels; resveratrol treatment evidently diminished the OSS levels, ameliorated renal injury, and prevented the expressions of FN and TGF-β1 in the kidneys of diabetic rats. This work supports a negative role of Sirt1 in AGE-induced overproductions of FN and TGF-β1. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the beneficial effects of Sirt1 on DN correlate well with the activation of the Nrf2/ARE antioxidative pathway.