The Tm7sf2 Gene Deficiency Protects Mice against Endotoxin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 5;10(11):e0141885. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141885. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Cholesterol is essential for diverse cellular functions and cellular and whole-body cholesterol homeostasis is highly controlled. Cholesterol can also influence cellular susceptibility to injury. The connection between cholesterol metabolism and inflammation is exemplified by the Tm7sf2 gene, the absence of which reveals an essential role in cholesterol biosynthesis under stress conditions but also results in an inflammatory phenotype, i.e. NF-κB activation and TNFα up-regulation. Here, by using Tm7sf2+/+and Tm7sf2-/- mice, we investigated whether the Tm7sf2 gene, through its role in cholesterol biosynthesis under stress conditions, is involved in the renal failure induced by the administration of LPS. We found that the loss of Tm7sf2 gene results in significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen levels accompanied by decreased renal inflammatory response and neutral lipid accumulation. The increased expression of fatty acids catabolic enzymes reduces the need of the renal autophagy, a known crucial nutrient-sensing pathway in lipid metabolism. Moreover, we observed that the Tm7sf2 insufficiency is responsible for the inhibition of the NF-κB signalling thus dampening the inflammatory response and leading to a reduced renal damage. These results suggest a pivotal role for Tm7sf2 in renal inflammatory and lipotoxic response under endotoxemic conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / chemically induced*
  • Acute Kidney Injury / genetics*
  • Acute Kidney Injury / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Blood Urea Nitrogen
  • Cholesterol / genetics
  • Endotoxins / pharmacology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / genetics
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • Kidney / metabolism
  • Lipid Metabolism / drug effects
  • Lipid Metabolism / genetics
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Stress, Physiological / drug effects
  • Stress, Physiological / genetics
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics
  • Up-Regulation / drug effects
  • Up-Regulation / genetics

Substances

  • Endotoxins
  • NF-kappa B
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Cholesterol
  • Oxidoreductases
  • delta(14)-sterol reductase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by PRIN (Progetti di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionele) (20092BE97Y_005), and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia (2011.0184.021 and 2011.0099.021) to RR and IB. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.