6-Formylindolo(3,2-b)carbazole Dampens Inflammation and Reduces Endotoxin-Induced Kidney Injury via Nrf2 Activation

Chem Res Toxicol. 2023 Mar 20;36(3):552-560. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00002. Epub 2023 Mar 6.

Abstract

Patients with sepsis are at a high risk of morbidity and mortality due to multiple organ injuries caused by pathological inflammation. Although sepsis is accompanied by multiple organ injuries, acute renal injury is a significant contributor to sepsis morbidity and mortality. Thus, dampening inflammation-induced renal injury may limit severe consequences of sepsis. As several studies have suggested that 6-formylindolo(3,2-b)carbazole (FICZ) is beneficial for treating various inflammatory diseases, we aimed to examine the potential protective effect of FICZ on the acute endotoxin-induced sepsis model of kidney injury. To test this, male C57Bl/6N mice were injected with FICZ (0.2 mg/kg) or vehicle 1 h prior to an injection of either lipopolysaccharides (LPS) (10 mg/kg), to induce sepsis, or phosphate-buffered saline for 24 h. Thereafter, gene expression of kidney injury and pro-inflammatory markers, circulating cytokines and chemokines, and kidney morphology were assessed. Our results show that FICZ reduced LPS-induced acute injury in kidneys from LPS-injected mice. Furthermore, we found that FICZ dampens both renal and systemic inflammation in our sepsis model. Mechanistically, our data indicated that FICZ significantly upregulates NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 and heme oxygenase 1 via aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the kidneys to lessen inflammation and improve septic acute kidney injury. Overall, the data of our study show that FICZ possesses a beneficial reno-protective effect against sepsis-induced renal injury via dual activation of AhR/Nrf2.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury* / chemically induced
  • Acute Kidney Injury* / drug therapy
  • Animals
  • Carbazoles / pharmacology
  • Endotoxins
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Kidney / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Male
  • Mice
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / metabolism
  • Sepsis* / chemically induced
  • Sepsis* / drug therapy

Substances

  • 6-formylindolo(3,2-b)carbazole
  • Carbazoles
  • Endotoxins
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2
  • Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon
  • Nfe2l2 protein, mouse