Adaku C Ume, Tara Y Wenegieme, Jennae N Shelby, Chiagozie D B Paul-Onyia, Aston M J Waite, John K Kamau, Danielle N Adams, Keiichiro Susuki, Eric S Bennett, Hongmei Ren, Clintoria R Williams
{"title":"他克莫司通过TGF-β依赖性机制诱导成纤维细胞向肌成纤维细胞转化,导致肾脏纤维化。","authors":"Adaku C Ume, Tara Y Wenegieme, Jennae N Shelby, Chiagozie D B Paul-Onyia, Aston M J Waite, John K Kamau, Danielle N Adams, Keiichiro Susuki, Eric S Bennett, Hongmei Ren, Clintoria R Williams","doi":"10.1152/ajprenal.00226.2022","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Use of immunosuppressant calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) is limited by irreversible kidney damage, hallmarked by renal fibrosis. CNIs directly damage many renal cell types. Given the diverse renal cell populations, additional targeted cell types and signaling mechanisms warrant further investigation. We hypothesized that fibroblasts contribute to CNI-induced renal fibrosis and propagate profibrotic effects via the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling axis. To test this, kidney damage-resistant mice (C57BL/6) received tacrolimus (10 mg/kg) or vehicle for 21 days. Renal damage markers and signaling mediators were assessed. To investigate their role in renal damage, mouse renal fibroblasts were exposed to tacrolimus (1 nM) or vehicle for 24 h. Morphological and functional changes in addition to downstream signaling events were assessed. Tacrolimus-treated kidneys displayed evidence of renal fibrosis. Moreover, α-smooth muscle actin expression was significantly increased, suggesting the presence of fibroblast activation. TGF-β receptor activation and downstream Smad2/3 signaling were also upregulated. Consistent with in vivo findings, tacrolimus-treated renal fibroblasts displayed a phenotypic switch known as fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), as α-smooth muscle actin, actin stress fibers, cell motility, and collagen type IV expression were significantly increased. These findings were accompanied by concomitant induction of TGF-β signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of the downstream TGF-β effector Smad3 attenuated tacrolimus-induced phenotypic changes. Collectively, these findings suggest that <i>1</i>) tacrolimus inhibits the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells axis while inducing TGF-β1 ligand secretion and receptor activation in renal fibroblasts; <i>2</i>) aberrant TGF-β receptor activation stimulates Smad-mediated production of myofibroblast markers, notable features of FMT; and <i>3</i>) FMT contributes to extracellular matrix expansion in tacrolimus-induced renal fibrosis. These results incorporate renal fibroblasts into the growing list of CNI-targeted cell types and identify renal FMT as a process mediated via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Renal fibrosis, a detrimental feature of irreversible kidney damage, remains a sinister consequence of long-term calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) immunosuppressive therapy. Our study not only incorporates renal fibroblasts into the growing list of cell types negatively impacted by CNIs but also identifies renal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition as a process mediated via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism. This insight will direct future studies investigating the feasibility of inhibiting TGF-β signaling to maintain CNI-mediated immunosuppression while ultimately preserving kidney health.</p>","PeriodicalId":7588,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Physiology-renal Physiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10085566/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Tacrolimus induces fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism to contribute to renal fibrosis.\",\"authors\":\"Adaku C Ume, Tara Y Wenegieme, Jennae N Shelby, Chiagozie D B Paul-Onyia, Aston M J Waite, John K Kamau, Danielle N Adams, Keiichiro Susuki, Eric S Bennett, Hongmei Ren, Clintoria R Williams\",\"doi\":\"10.1152/ajprenal.00226.2022\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><p>Use of immunosuppressant calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) is limited by irreversible kidney damage, hallmarked by renal fibrosis. CNIs directly damage many renal cell types. Given the diverse renal cell populations, additional targeted cell types and signaling mechanisms warrant further investigation. We hypothesized that fibroblasts contribute to CNI-induced renal fibrosis and propagate profibrotic effects via the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling axis. To test this, kidney damage-resistant mice (C57BL/6) received tacrolimus (10 mg/kg) or vehicle for 21 days. Renal damage markers and signaling mediators were assessed. To investigate their role in renal damage, mouse renal fibroblasts were exposed to tacrolimus (1 nM) or vehicle for 24 h. Morphological and functional changes in addition to downstream signaling events were assessed. Tacrolimus-treated kidneys displayed evidence of renal fibrosis. Moreover, α-smooth muscle actin expression was significantly increased, suggesting the presence of fibroblast activation. TGF-β receptor activation and downstream Smad2/3 signaling were also upregulated. Consistent with in vivo findings, tacrolimus-treated renal fibroblasts displayed a phenotypic switch known as fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), as α-smooth muscle actin, actin stress fibers, cell motility, and collagen type IV expression were significantly increased. These findings were accompanied by concomitant induction of TGF-β signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of the downstream TGF-β effector Smad3 attenuated tacrolimus-induced phenotypic changes. Collectively, these findings suggest that <i>1</i>) tacrolimus inhibits the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells axis while inducing TGF-β1 ligand secretion and receptor activation in renal fibroblasts; <i>2</i>) aberrant TGF-β receptor activation stimulates Smad-mediated production of myofibroblast markers, notable features of FMT; and <i>3</i>) FMT contributes to extracellular matrix expansion in tacrolimus-induced renal fibrosis. These results incorporate renal fibroblasts into the growing list of CNI-targeted cell types and identify renal FMT as a process mediated via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism.<b>NEW & NOTEWORTHY</b> Renal fibrosis, a detrimental feature of irreversible kidney damage, remains a sinister consequence of long-term calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) immunosuppressive therapy. Our study not only incorporates renal fibroblasts into the growing list of cell types negatively impacted by CNIs but also identifies renal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition as a process mediated via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism. This insight will direct future studies investigating the feasibility of inhibiting TGF-β signaling to maintain CNI-mediated immunosuppression while ultimately preserving kidney health.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":7588,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"American Journal of Physiology-renal Physiology\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":3.7000,\"publicationDate\":\"2023-05-01\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10085566/pdf/\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"American Journal of Physiology-renal Physiology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00226.2022\",\"RegionNum\":2,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"2023/3/16 0:00:00\",\"PubModel\":\"Epub\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"PHYSIOLOGY\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Journal of Physiology-renal Physiology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00226.2022","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/3/16 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHYSIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
Tacrolimus induces fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism to contribute to renal fibrosis.
Use of immunosuppressant calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) is limited by irreversible kidney damage, hallmarked by renal fibrosis. CNIs directly damage many renal cell types. Given the diverse renal cell populations, additional targeted cell types and signaling mechanisms warrant further investigation. We hypothesized that fibroblasts contribute to CNI-induced renal fibrosis and propagate profibrotic effects via the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling axis. To test this, kidney damage-resistant mice (C57BL/6) received tacrolimus (10 mg/kg) or vehicle for 21 days. Renal damage markers and signaling mediators were assessed. To investigate their role in renal damage, mouse renal fibroblasts were exposed to tacrolimus (1 nM) or vehicle for 24 h. Morphological and functional changes in addition to downstream signaling events were assessed. Tacrolimus-treated kidneys displayed evidence of renal fibrosis. Moreover, α-smooth muscle actin expression was significantly increased, suggesting the presence of fibroblast activation. TGF-β receptor activation and downstream Smad2/3 signaling were also upregulated. Consistent with in vivo findings, tacrolimus-treated renal fibroblasts displayed a phenotypic switch known as fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), as α-smooth muscle actin, actin stress fibers, cell motility, and collagen type IV expression were significantly increased. These findings were accompanied by concomitant induction of TGF-β signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of the downstream TGF-β effector Smad3 attenuated tacrolimus-induced phenotypic changes. Collectively, these findings suggest that 1) tacrolimus inhibits the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells axis while inducing TGF-β1 ligand secretion and receptor activation in renal fibroblasts; 2) aberrant TGF-β receptor activation stimulates Smad-mediated production of myofibroblast markers, notable features of FMT; and 3) FMT contributes to extracellular matrix expansion in tacrolimus-induced renal fibrosis. These results incorporate renal fibroblasts into the growing list of CNI-targeted cell types and identify renal FMT as a process mediated via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Renal fibrosis, a detrimental feature of irreversible kidney damage, remains a sinister consequence of long-term calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) immunosuppressive therapy. Our study not only incorporates renal fibroblasts into the growing list of cell types negatively impacted by CNIs but also identifies renal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition as a process mediated via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism. This insight will direct future studies investigating the feasibility of inhibiting TGF-β signaling to maintain CNI-mediated immunosuppression while ultimately preserving kidney health.
期刊介绍:
The American Journal of Physiology - Renal Physiology publishes original manuscripts on timely topics in both basic science and clinical research. Published articles address a broad range of subjects relating to the kidney and urinary tract, and may involve human or animal models, individual cell types, and isolated membrane systems. Also covered are the pathophysiological basis of renal disease processes, regulation of body fluids, and clinical research that provides mechanistic insights. Studies of renal function may be conducted using a wide range of approaches, such as biochemistry, immunology, genetics, mathematical modeling, molecular biology, as well as physiological and clinical methodologies.