Background: Chronic renal disease (CKD) is characterized by complex changes in cell metabolism leading to an increased production of oxygen radicals, that, in turn has been suggested to play a key role in numerous clinical complications of this pathological condition. Several reports have focused on the identification of biological elements involved in the development of systemic biochemical alterations in CKD, but this abundant literature results fragmented and not exhaustive.

The genetic architecture of membranous nephropathy and its potential to improve non-invasive diagnosis Jingyuan Xie et al. # Membranous Nephropathy (MN) is a rare autoimmune cause of kidney failure. Here we report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for primary MN in 3,782 cases and 9,038 controls of East Asian and European ancestries. We discover two previously unreported loci, NFKB1

Cellular metabolic changes during chronic kidney disease (CKD) may induce higher production of oxygen radicals that play a significant role in the progression of renal damage and in the onset of important comorbidities. This condition seems to be in part related to dysfunctional mitochondria that cause an increased electron “leakage” from the respiratory chain during oxidative phosphorylation with a consequent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).ROS are highly active molecules that may oxidize proteins, lipids and nucleic acids with a consequent damage of cells and tissues.To mitigate this mitochondria-related functional impairment, a variety of agents (including endogenous and food derived antioxidants, natural plants extracts, mitochondria-targeted molecules) combined with conventional therapies could be employed.However, although the anti-oxidant properties of these substances are well known, their use in clinical practice has been only partially investigated. Additionally, for their correct utilization is extremely important to understand their effects, to identify the correct target of intervention and to minimize adverse effects.Therefore, in this manuscript, we reviewed the characteristics of the available mitochondria-targeted anti-oxidant compounds that could be employed routinely in our nephrology, internal medicine and renal transplant centers. Nevertheless, large clinical trials are needed to provide more definitive information about their use and to assess their overall efficacy or toxicity.

The mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTOR-I), sirolimus and everolimus, are immunosuppressive drugs largely used in renal transplantation. The main mechanism of action of these drugs is the inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a regulatory protein kinase involved in lymphocyte proliferation. Additionally, the inhibition of the crosstalk among mTORC1, mTORC2, and PI3K confers the antineoplastic activities of these drugs. Because of their specific pharmacological characteristics and their relative lack of nephrotoxicity, these inhibitors are valid option to calcineurine inhibitors (CNIs) for maintenance immunosuppression in renal transplant recipients with chronic allograft nephropathy. However, as other immunosuppressive drugs, mTOR-I may induce the development of several adverse effects that need to be early recognized and treated to avoid severe illness in renal transplant patients. In particular, mTOR-I may induce systemic nonnephrological side effects including pulmonary toxicity, hematological disorders, dysmetabolism, lymphedema, stomatitis, cutaneous adverse effects, and fertility/gonadic toxicity. Although most of the adverse effects are dose related, it is extremely important for clinicians to early recognize them in order to reduce dosage or discontinue mTOR-I treatment avoiding the onset and development of severe clinical complications.

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Heparanase (HPSE) is part of the biologic network triggered by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, a complication of renal transplantation and acute kidney injury. During this period, the kidney or graft undergoes a process of macrophages recruitment and activation. HPSE may therefore control these biologic effects. We measured the ability of HPSE and its inhibitor, SST0001, to regulate macrophage polarization and the crosstalk between macrophages and HK-2 renal tubular cells during in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Furthermore, we evaluated in vivo renal inflammation, macrophage polarization, and histologic changes in mice subjected to monolateral I/R and treated with SST0001 for 2 or 7 d. The in vitro experiments showed that HPSE sustained M1 macrophage polarization and modulated apoptosis, the release of damage associated molecular patterns in post-H/R tubular cells, the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines, and the up-regulation of TLRs on both epithelial cells and macrophages. HPSE also regulated M1 polarization induced by H/R-injured tubular cells and the partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition of these epithelial cells by M1 macrophages. All these effects were prevented by inhibiting HPSE. Furthermore, the inhibition of HPSE in vivo reduced inflammation and M1 polarization in mice undergoing I/R injury, partially restored renal function and normal histology, and reduced apoptosis. These results show for the first time that HPSE regulates macrophage polarization as well as renal damage and repair after I/R. HPSE inhibitors could therefore provide a new pharmacologic approach to minimize acute kidney injury and to prevent the chronic profibrotic damages induced by I/R.-Masola, V., Zaza, G., Bellin, G., Dall'Olmo, L., Granata, S., Vischini, G., Secchi, M. F., Lupo, A., Gambaro, G., Onisto, M. Heparanase regulates the M1 polarization of renal macrophages and their crosstalk with renal epithelial tubular cells after ischemia/reperfusion injury.

To assess whether NLR pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multiprotein complex that mediates the activation of caspase-1 (CASP-1) and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-18 and IL-1β, could be involved in the chronic inflammatory state observed in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment (CKD-HD), we employed several biomolecular techniques including RT-PCR, western blot, FACS analysis, confocal microscopy and microarray. Interestingly, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 15 CKD-HD patients showed higher mRNA levels of NLRP3, CASP-1, ASC, IL-1β, IL-18 and P2X7receptor compared to 15 healthy subjects. Western blotting analysis confirmed the above results. In particular, active forms of CASP-1, IL1-β and IL-18 resulted significantly up-regulated in CKD-HD versus controls. Additionally, elevated mitochondrial ROS level, colocalization of NLRP3/ASC/mitochondria in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CKD-HD patients and down-regulation of CASP-1, IL1-β and IL-18 protein levels in immune-cells of CKD-HD patients stimulated with LPS/ATP in presence of mitoTEMPO, inhibitor of mitochondrial ROS production, suggested a possible role of this organelle in the aforementioned CKD-associated inflammasome activation. Then, microarray analysis confirmed, in an independent microarray study cohort, that NLRP3 and CASP-1, along with other inflammasome-related genes, were up-regulated in 17 CKD-HD patients and they were able to clearly discriminate these patients from 5 healthy subjects. All together these data showed, for the first time, that NLRP3 inflammasome was activated in uremic patients undergoing dialysis treatment and they suggested that this unphysiological condition could be possibly induced by mitochondrial dysfunction.