Augmenter of liver regeneration regulates autophagy in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury via the AMPK/mTOR pathway

Apoptosis. 2017 Jul;22(7):955-969. doi: 10.1007/s10495-017-1370-6.

Abstract

Autophagy may have protective effects in renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR), a widely distributed multifunctional protein that is originally identified as a hepatic growth factor, may participate in the process of autophagy. To investigate the role of ALR in autophagy, ALR expression is knocked-down in human kidney 2 (HK-2) cells with short hairpin RNA lentivirals. Then, the level of autophagy is measured in the shRNA/ALR group and the shRNA/control group in an in vitro model of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). The results indicate that the level of autophagy in two groups increase, accompanied by increased reactive oxygen species production, especially in the shRNA/ALR group. The AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway is hyperactive in the shRNA/ALR group. Inhibition of autophagy with the AMPK inhibitor compound C induce apoptosis, especially in the shRNA/ALR group. These findings collectively indicate that ALR negatively regulates the autophagy process through an association with the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. Autophagy inhibit apoptosis and play a protective role under conditions of oxidative stress.

Keywords: Acute kidney injury; Augmenter of liver regeneration; Autophagy; Ischemia–reperfusion; Reactive oxygen species.

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / genetics*
  • Cell Line
  • Cytochrome Reductases / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Humans
  • Kidney / injuries
  • Kidney / metabolism*
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Oxidative Stress / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors
  • Reperfusion Injury / genetics*
  • Reperfusion Injury / pathology
  • Signal Transduction
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics*

Substances

  • Cytochrome Reductases
  • GFER protein, human
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on Sulfur Group Donors
  • MTOR protein, human
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases