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C-phycocyanin (CPC) is an antihypertensive that is not still wholly pharmacologically described. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether CPC counteracts endothelial dysfunction as an antihypertensive mechanism in rats with 5/6 nephrectomy (NFx) as a chronic kidney disease (CKD) model. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: sham control, sham-treated with CPC (100 mg/Kg/d), NFx, and NFx treated with CPC. Blood pressure was measured each week, and renal function evaluated at the end of the treatment. Afterward, animals were euthanized, and their thoracic aortas were analyzed for endothelium functional test, oxidative stress, and NO production. 5/6 Nephrectomy caused hypertension increasing lipid peroxidation and ROS production, overexpression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), reduction in the first-line antioxidant enzymes activities, and reduced-glutathione (GSH) with a down-expression of eNOS. The vasomotor response reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation in aorta segments exposed to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside. However, the treatment with CPC prevented hypertension by reducing oxidative stress, NO system disturbance, and endothelial dysfunction. The CPC treatment did not prevent CKD-caused disturbance in the antioxidant enzymes activities. Therefore, CPC exhibited an antihypertensive activity while avoiding endothelial dysfunction.

C-phycoerythrin (C-PE) is a phycobiliprotein that prevents oxidative stress and cell damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether C-PE also counteracts endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as a mechanism contributing to its nephroprotective activity. After C-PE was purified from Phormidium persicinum by using size exclusion chromatography, it was characterized by spectrometry and fluorometry. A mouse model of HgCl2-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) was used to assess the effect of C-PE treatment (at 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg of body weight) on oxidative stress, the redox environment, and renal damage. ER stress was examined with the same model and C-PE treatment at 100 mg/kg. C-PE diminished oxidative stress and cell damage in a dose-dependent manner by impeding the decrease in expression of nephrin and podocin normally caused by mercury intoxication. It reduced ER stress by preventing the activation of the inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE1α) pathway and avoiding caspase-mediated cell death, while leaving the expression of protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) and activating transcription factor 6α (ATF6α) pathways unmodified. Hence, C-PE exhibited a nephroprotective effect on HgCl2-induced AKI by reducing oxidative stress and ER stress.

Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina) is a cyanobacterium which is considered a nutraceutical because it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties in different renal disease models (Rodriguez-Sanchez et al., 2012; Aziz et al., 2018; Memije-Lazaro et al., 2018). The therapeutic effects are due to the presence of metabolites with biological effects similar to those of essential fatty acids ω-3 and ω-6, vitamins A, C and E, and accessory pigments such as phycobiliproteins. One of the most abundant phycobiliproteins in A. maxima is C-phycocyanin (Mysliwa-Kurdziel and Solymosi, 2017). This molecule is responsible for nephroprotective action in a model of acute kidney injury (AKI) because it reduces oxidative stress and caspase activation (Rodriguez-Sanchez et al., 2012; Rojas-Franco et al., 2018). However, both A. maxima and its C-phycocyanin are related to the reduction of the redox environment. Thus, they probably help to maintain the adequate function of the intracellular organelles like the endoplasmic reticulum. However, this therapeutic action has not been evaluated previously.

PubMedID: 31736398 Acute exposure to mercury chloride (HgCl2) causes acute kidney injury (AKI). Some metals interfere with protein folding, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and the activation of cell death mechanisms, but in the case of mercury, there is no knowledge about whether the ERS mediates tubular damage. This study aimed to determinate if HgCl2 causes an AKI course with temporary activation of ERS and if this mechanism is involved in kidney cell death. Male mice were intoxicated with 5 mg/kg HgCl2 and sacrificed after 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of mercury administration. The kidneys of euthanized mice were used to assess the renal function, oxidative stress, redox environment, antioxidant enzymatic system, cell death, and reticulum stress markers (PERK, ATF-6, and IRE1? pathways). The results indicate temporary-dependent renal dysfunction, oxidative stress, and an increase of glutathione-dependent enzymes involved in the bioaccumulation process of mercury, as well as the enhancement of caspase 3 activity along with IRE1a, GADD-153, and caspase 12 expressions. Mercury activates the PERK/eIF2? branch during the first 48 h. Meanwhile, the activation of PERK/ATF-4 branch allowed for ATF-4, ATF-6, and IRE1? pathways to enhance GADD-153. It led to the activation of caspases 12 and 3, which mediated the deaths of the tubular and glomerular cells. This study revealed temporary-dependent ERS present during AKI caused by HgCl2, as well as how it plays a pivotal role in kidney cell damage. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado, Instituto Politécnico Nacional Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología Edgar Cano-Europa thanks COTEBAL-IPN for the support given this year for the realization of this project. The authors thank INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL, SECRETARÍA DE INVESTIGACIÓN Y POSGRADO-IPN, and CONACyT for financial support. The researchers are fellows of EDI, COFAA, and SNI.

Arthrospira maxima ( Spirulina ) is considered a nutraceutical or functional food because it provides health benefits and it is used as nephroprotector because it contains nucleophilic compounds as phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin that prevent oxidative stress and cellular damage process. Also, it is known that inorganic mercury is bioaccumulated and exerted kidney toxicity. Despite the nephroprotective effect of Spirulina and its components, there is not enough information about the effect of them on renal function as well as the apoptosis process inhibition. This work aimed to investigate whether phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina can improve HgCl 2 -related glomerular and tubular renal dysfunction as well as the Bax, Bcl 2 , and effectors caspases alterations. Male mice were administrated with Spirulina , phycobiliproteins or phycocyanin 30 min before 5 mg/Kg HgCl 2 administration. The nutraceuticals were administrated for the next 5 days. Then, the mice were euthanized. The renal function, caspases 3 and 9 activities, as well as Bax and Bcl 2 expression were evaluated. Spirulina and its components prevent HgCl 2 -related apoptosis induction and glomerular dysfunction. We concluded that phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina reduce glomerular damage but not the tubular dysfunction in a mercury-related acute kidney injury.

"Macrocystis pyrifera un alga parda gigante se desarrolla en América, a lo largo de las costas del océano pacífico; Es empleada en la industria alimenticia, farmacéutica y en alimento para animales de granja, encontrando concentraciones bajas de colesterol en los huevos de gallina y de triglicéridos en camarones. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar, el efecto hipolipemiante y antiobésico de Macrocystis pyrifera en ratas alimentadas con una dieta alta en lípidos saturados. Se determinó el peso corporal, la ingesta calórica, el peso relativo de depósitos de tejido adiposo y el perfil lipídico. La dieta suplementada con Macrocystis pyrifera , disminuyó el peso corporal (≈10 %), los depósitos adiposos (17 % a 40 %) y las concentraciones plasmáticas de: glucosa (36 %), triacilglicéridos (49 %), colesterol (33 %) y LDL (14 %), originadas por la dieta alta en lípidos"

"El objetivo fue determinar el efecto de una dieta suplementada con aceite de canola, sobre el estado metabólico y la nefropatía ocasionada por la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2). Se utilizaron machos Sprague Dawley, alimentados con purina (grupo control), o dieta alta en grasas saturadas (manteca) durante 9 semanas; estos últimos, recibieron una administración de estreptozotocina para desarrollar DM2. Ambos grupos control y DM2 se dividieron en: 1) control purina, 2) control + aceite de canola, 3) Diabetes purina y 4) Diabetes + aceite de canola; durante 16 semanas. Se determinó consumo energético, peso corporal, consumo de agua, concentración sérica de cuerpos cetónicos, triglicéridos, ácidos grasos, flujo y volumen urinario, ambiente óxido-reducción e histología renal. Los resultados sugieren que el aceite de canola mejora el estado metabólico previniendo la nefropatía diabética."

Arthrospira maxima ( Spirulina) is considered a nutraceutical or functional food because it provides health benefits and it is used as nephroprotector because it contains nucleophilic compounds as phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin that prevent oxidative stress and cellular damage process. Also, it is known that inorganic mercury is bioaccumulated and exerted kidney toxicity. Despite the nephroprotective effect of Spirulina and its components, there is not enough information about the effect of them on renal function as well as the apoptosis process inhibition. This work aimed to investigate whether phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina can improve HgCl2-related glomerular and tubular renal dysfunction as well as the Bax, Bcl2, and effectors caspases alterations. Male mice were administrated with Spirulina, phycobiliproteins or phycocyanin 30 min before 5 mg/Kg HgCl2 administration. The nutraceuticals were administrated for the next 5 days. Then, the mice were euthanized. The renal function, caspases 3 and 9 activities, as well as Bax and Bcl2 expression were evaluated. Spirulina and its components prevent HgCl2-related apoptosis induction and glomerular dysfunction. We concluded that phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina reduce glomerular damage but not the tubular dysfunction in a mercury-related acute kidney injury.

"Actualmente, ha aumentado el interés en los compuestos presentes en los hongos, debido a que tienen bene?cios para la salud. Por este motivo, se determinó si el extracto etanólico y las fracciones (acetato de etilo y hexánica), obtenidas del micelio de Trametes versicolor, previenen el estrés oxidativo y el daño tisular, generados por la intoxicación con CCl4. El extracto etanólico y las sub-fracciones se administraron a ratones machos de la cepa NIH. Posteriormente, se obtuvo el hígado para cuantificar el estrés oxidativo, el ambiente redox y el daño histológico. Se encontró que los extractos disminuyen el estrés oxidativo y evitan el daño celular provocado por el CCl4. Se concluye que el extracto etanólico y las fracciones (acetato de etilo y hexánica) protegen contra el daño hepático agudo."