Regulatory Pathway of Ion-Transporter Genes through Nrf2 Transcription Factor in Hypokalemic Condition

The Nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a key role in the cellular defense against oxidative stress. Low K increased the reactive oxygen species and it stimulate Nrf2 activation. Previous our study demonstrated that low potassium promoted expression of H/K-ATPase and kNBC1 by Nrf2 transcription factor in cultured models. In addition, phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38 and PI3K was involved in the activation of Nrf2 expression. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism which low potassium regulates Nrf2 expression through various in vitro and in vivo models. Using various kinase inhibitors, promotion of Nrf2 expression in low potassium condition was inhibited by LY294002 and SP600125 while PD98059 and SB203580 did not affect Nrf2, suggesting that phosphorylation of Akt and JNK is specifically involved in Nrf2 expression in low potassium condition. Kidney tissues from low potassium diet rats showed increased phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-Akt in diet time dependent manner but no effect to JNK and p38 phosphorylation. Specifically, PhosphoNrf2 was also increased in nuclear compartment by low potassium diet. In order to demonstrate direct evidence that low potassium regulates ionic transporters by Nrf2, Nrf2 knockout mice were employed. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) were harvested for the study. As expected, low potassium promotes expression of Nrf2 and level of phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-Akt in MEF-Nrf2 ( + / + ). Low potassium promoted expression of kNBC1 and H/K-ATPase in MEF-Nrf2 ( + / + ), but unchanged or even decreased in MEF-Nrf2 ( + /) and MEFNrf2 (/). Taken together, these results show that Nrf2 was activated by ERK1/2 and AKT in low potassium condition and further regulates expression of kNBC1 and colonic H/K-ATPase.