• Xin-Gui Dai, Wei Xu, Tao Li, Jia-Ying Lu, Yang Yang, Qiong Li, Zhen-Hua Zeng, and Yu-Hang Ai.
• Department of Intensive Care Unit, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China.
• Chin. Med. J. 2019 Oct 5; 132 (19): 234023472340-2347.

BackgroundStudies have reported mitophagy activation in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) in acute kidney injury (AKI). Phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) and E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase Parkin are involved in mitophagy regulation; however, little is known about the role of PINK1-Parkin mitophagy in septic AKI. Here we investigated whether the PINK1-Parkin mitophagy pathway is involved in septic AKI and its effects on cell apoptosis in vitro and on renal functions in vivo.MethodsMitophagy-related gene expression was determined using Western blot assay in human RTEC cell line HK-2 stimulated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and in RTECs from septic AKI rats induced by cecal ligation and perforation (CLP). Autophagy-related ultrastructural features in rat RTECs were observed using electron microscopy. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches were performed to investigate the role of the PINK1-Parkin pathway in HK-2 cell mitophagy. Autophagy activators and inhibitors were used to assess the effects of mitophagy modulation on cell apoptosis in vitro and on renal functions in vivo.ResultsLPS stimulation could significantly induce LC3-II and BECN-1 protein expression (LC3-II: 1.72 ± 0.05 vs. 1.00 ± 0.05, P < 0.05; BECN-1: 5.33 ± 0.57 vs. 1.00 ± 0.14, P < 0.05) at 4 h in vitro. Similarly, LC3-II, and BECN-1 protein levels were significantly increased and peaked at 2 h after CLP (LC3-II: 3.33 ± 0.12 vs. 1.03 ± 0.15, P < 0.05; BECN-1: 1.57 ± 0.26 vs. 1.02 ± 0.11, P < 0.05) in vivo compared with those after sham operation. Mitochondrial deformation and mitolysosome-mediated mitochondria clearance were observed in RTECs from septic rats. PINK1 knockdown significantly attenuated LC3-II protein expression (1.35 ± 0.21 vs. 2.38 ± 0.22, P < 0.05), whereas PINK1 overexpression markedly enhanced LC3-II protein expression (2.07 ± 0.21 vs. 1.29 ± 0.19, P < 0.05) compared with LPS-stimulated HK-2 cells. LPS-induced proapoptotic protein expression remained unchanged in autophagy activator-treated HK-2 cells and was significantly attenuated in PINK1-overexpressing cells, but was remarkably upregulated in autophagy inhibitor-treated and in PINK1-depleted cells. Consistent results were observed in flow cytometric apoptosis assay and in renal function indicators in rats.ConclusionPINK1-Parkin-mediated mitophagy might play a protective role in septic AKI, serving as a potential therapeutic target for septic AKI.

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