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The pathophysiological events that lead to renal interstitial fibrogenesis are incompletely understood. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET), an arachidonic acid metabolite, has anti-inflammatory and profibrinolytic functions. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) converts EET to less active dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid. Here, we tested the hypothesis that sEH deficiency would prevent tubulointerstitial fibrosis and inflammation induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in mouse kidneys. The loss of sEH enhanced levels of EET regioisomers and abolished tubulointerstitial fibrosis as demonstrated by reduced collagen deposition and myofibroblast formation at 3 and 10 days after UUO. The inflammatory response was prevented as demonstrated by decreased influx of neutrophil and macrophage, expression of inflammatory cytokines, and chemotactic factors in sEH-deficient UUO kidneys. Pharmacological inhibition of sEH also prevented inflammation and fibrosis after UUO. Next, we delved into the molecular mechanisms piloting the beneficial effects of sEH deficiency in renal fibrosis. UUO upregulated profibrotic factors associated with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/Smad3 signaling, oxidative stress, and NF-κB activation, and downregulated antifibrotic factors including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isoforms, especially PPARγ, but the loss of sEH prevented these adverse effects in UUO kidneys. Furthermore, administration of PPAR antagonists enhanced myofibroblast formation and activation of Smad3 and NF-κB p65, effects that were prevented by sEH deficiency in UUO kidneys. These data demonstrate that loss of sEH promotes anti-inflammatory and fibroprotective effects in UUO kidneys via activation of PPAR isoforms and downregulation of NF-κB, TGF-β1/Smad3, and inflammatory signaling pathways. Our data suggest the potential use of sEH inhibitors in treating fibrotic diseases.

The primary cilium is a microtubule-based nonmotile organelle that extends from the surface of cells, including renal tubular cells. Here, we investigated the alteration of primary cilium length during epithelial cell injury and repair, following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) insult, and the role of reactive oxygen species in this alteration. Thirty minutes of bilateral renal ischemia induced severe renal tubular cell damage and an increase of plasma creatinine (PCr) concentration. Between 8 and 16 days following the ischemia, the increased PCr returned to normal range, although without complete histological restoration. Compared with the primary cilium length in normal kidney tubule cells, the length was shortened 4 h and 1 day following ischemia, increased over normal 8 days after ischemia, and then returned to near normal 16 days following ischemia. In the urine of I/R-subjected mice, acetylated tubulin was detected. The cilium length of proliferating cells was shorter than that in nonproliferating cells. Mature cells had shorter cilia than differentiating cells. Treatment with Mn(III) tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin (MnTMPyP), an antioxidant, during the recovery of damaged kidneys accelerated normalization of cilia length concomitant with a decrease of oxidative stress and morphological recovery in the kidney. In the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, H2O2 treatment caused released ciliary fragment into medium, and MnTMPyP inhibited the deciliation. The ERK inhibitor U0126 inhibited elongation of cilia in normal and MDCK cells recovering from H2O2 stress. Taken together, our results suggest that primary cilia length reflects cell proliferation and the length of primary cilium is regulated, at least, in part, by reactive oxygen species through ERK.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) contributes to necrotic cell death and inflammation in several disease models; however, the role of PARP1 in fibrogenesis remains to be defined. Here, we tested whether PARP1 was involved in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis using the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model. UUO was performed by ligation of the left ureter near the renal pelvis in Parp1-knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) male mice. After 10 days of UUO, renal PARP1 expression and activation were strongly increased by 6- and 13-fold, respectively. Interstitial fibrosis induced by UUO was significantly attenuated in Parp1-KO kidneys compared with that in WT kidneys at 10 days, but not at 3 days, based on collagen deposition, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibronectin expression. Intriguingly, the UUO kidneys in Parp1-KO mice showed a dramatic decrease in infiltration of neutrophil and reduction in expression of proinflammatory proteins including intercellular adhesion molecule-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and toll-like receptor 4 as well as phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB p65, but not transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) at both 3 and 10 days. Pharmacological inhibition of PARP1 in rat renal interstitial fibroblast (NRK-49F) cell line or genetic ablation in primary mouse embryonic fibroblast cells did not affect TGF-β1-induced de novo α-SMA expression. Parp1 deficiency significantly attenuated UUO-induced histological damage in the kidney tubular cells, but not apoptosis. These data suggest that PARP1 induces necrotic cell death and contributes to inflammatory signaling pathways that trigger fibrogenesis in obstructive nephropathy.

Ischemic preconditioning by a single event of ischemia and reperfusion (SIRPC) dramatically protects renal function against ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) induced several weeks later. We recently reported that reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress were sustained in a kidney that had functionally recovered from I/R injury, thus suggesting an association between SIRPC and ROS and oxidative stress. However, the role of ROS in SIRPC remains to be clearly elucidated. To assess the involvement of ROS in SIRPC, mice were subjected to SIRPC (30 min of bilateral renal ischemia and 8 days of reperfusion) and then exposed to I/R injury. Thirty minutes of bilateral renal ischemia in the non-SIRPC mice resulted in a marked increase in plasma creatinine levels 4 and 24 h after reperfusion, which was not observed in the I/R in the SIRPC mice. SIRPC resulted in increases in the levels of kidney superoxide. Administrations of manganese(III) tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin [MnTMPyP; a cell-permeable superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic] and N-acetylcysteine (NAc; a ROS scavenger) to SIRPC mice blocked the SIRPC-induced increase in superoxide levels and removed ∼48–64% of the functional protection of the SIRPC kidney. Additionally, these administrations significantly inhibited I/R-induced increases in superoxide formation, hydrogen peroxide production, and lipid peroxidation, along with the inhibition of I/R-induced reductions in the expression and activity of manganese SOD, copper-zinc SOD, and catalase. Furthermore, administrations of MnTMPyP or NAc inhibited the SIRPC-induced increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase expression but did not inhibit the SIRPC-induced increases in heat shock protein-25 expression. In conclusion, the renoprotection afforded by SIRPC was triggered by ROS generated by SIRPC.

Recently, kidney fibrosis following transplantation has become recognized as a main contributor of chronic allograft nephropathy. In transplantation, transient ischemia is an inescapable event. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in ischemia and reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury, as well as progression of fibrosis in various diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and ureteral obstruction. However, a role of ROS/oxidative stress in chronic kidney fibrosis following I/R injury remains to be defined. In this study, we investigated the involvement of ROS/oxidative stress in kidney fibrosis following kidney I/R in mice. Mice were subjected to 30 min of bilateral kidney ischemia followed by reperfusion on day 0 and then administered with either manganese (III) tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin (MnTMPyP, 5 mg/kg body wt ip), a cell permeable superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic, or 0.9% saline (vehicle) beginning at 48 h after I/R for 14 days. I/R significantly increased interstitial extension, collagen deposition, apoptosis of tubular epithelial cells, nitrotyrosine expression, hydrogen peroxide production, and lipid peroxidation and decreased copper-zinc SOD, manganese SOD, and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities in the kidneys 16 days after the procedure. MnTMPyP administration minimized these postischemic changes. In addition, MnTMPyP administration significantly attenuated the increases of α-smooth muscle actin, PCNA, S100A4, CD68, and heat shock protein 47 expression following I/R. We concluded that kidney fibrosis develops chronically following I/R injury, and this process is associated with the increase of ROS/oxidative stress.