• Qijian Feng, Chang Su, Chuyi Yang, Minghai Wu, Xuelin Li, Xiaochun Lin, Yanmei Zeng, Jintao He, Yuan Wang, Lei Guo, Churan Wen, Feifei Cai, Jin Zhang, Xinzhao Fan, and Meiping Guan.
• Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China. 510515; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, PR China.
• Transl Res. 2024 Dec 1; 274: 101117101-117.

AbstractCell senescence and metabolic reprogramming are significant features of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the underlying mechanisms between cell senescence and metabolic reprogramming are poorly defined. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor α (RXRα), a key nuclear receptor transcription factor, regulates cell senescence and metabolic reprogramming in DKD. Through high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation, we confirmed the critical role of RXRα in promoting cell senescence and metabolic dysregulation in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) induced by lipid overload. In vivo, in situ injection of AAV9-shRxra into the kidney reduced proteinuria, RTECs senescence and insulin resistance in DKD mice. In vitro, knockdown of RXRα markedly improved G2/M phase arrest and suppressed the expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and unbiased bioinformatics were employed to identify the direct interactions between RXRα and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), which were subsequently validated through coimmunoprecipitation. Gene network analysis revealed the collaborative regulatory role of RXRα and MR in RTECs senescence. In an accelerated aging mouse model, treatment with a MR antagonist has been shown to inhibite the RXRα/MR signaling, improve RTECs senescence, and reduce interstitial fibrosis and lipid deposition in the kidneys. These findings indicate that inhibition of RXRα/MR signaling could alleviate cell senescence during metabolic disorders. Thus, our study revealed that RXRα/MR signaling serves as a critical regulatory factor mediating the crosstalk between cell senescence and metabolic reprogramming, shedding light on a novel mechanism for targeting cell senescence and metabolic dysregulation in DKD.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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