Angiotensin II triggers RIPK3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis by activating the Fas/FasL signaling pathway in renal tubular cells

PLoS One. 2020 Mar 5;15(3):e0228385. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228385. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Our earlier studies proved that RIPK3-mediated necroptosis might be an important mode of renal tubular cell death in rats with chronic renal injury and the necroptotic cell death can be triggered by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in vitro, but the triggering role of angiotensin II (AngII), which exerts notable effects on renal cells for the initiation and progression of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, is largely unknown. Here, we identified the presence of necroptotic cell death in the tubular cells of AngII-induced chronic renal injury and fibrosis mice and assessed the percentage of necroptotic renal tubular cell death with the disruption of this necroptosis by the addition of necrostatin-1 (Nec-1). Furthermore, the observation was further confirmed in HK-2 cells treated with AngII and RIPK1/3 or MLKL inhibitors. The detection of Fas and FasL proteins led us to investigate the contribution of the Fas/FasL signaling pathway to AngII-induced necroptosis. Disruption of FasL decreased the percentage of necroptotic cells, suggesting that Fas and FasL are likely key signal molecules in the necroptosis of HK-2 cells induced by AngII. Our data suggest that AngII exposure might trigger RIPK3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells by activating the Fas/FasL signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiotensin II / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Fas Ligand Protein / metabolism*
  • Fibrosis
  • Humans
  • Kidney Tubules / cytology*
  • Kidney Tubules / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Necroptosis / drug effects*
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • fas Receptor / metabolism*

Substances

  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • fas Receptor
  • Angiotensin II
  • MLKL protein, mouse
  • Protein Kinases
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Ripk3 protein, mouse

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 81660131 to Zhu Yongjun and the Hainan Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province, 20168301 to Zhu Yongjun and Science and Technology Cooperation Project from Key Research and Development Program of Hainan Province, ZDYF2019215 to Zhu Yongjun.