Several Nrf2 activators are at various stages of clinical development and are being tested in clinical trials for chronic kidney disease (CKD) including diabetic kidney disease, Alport syndrome, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
Sitagliptin may induce HO-1 expression via activation of PI3K and Nrf2 in rats with diabetic nephropathy; HO-1 can improve the oxidative stress of diabetic nephropathy, eventually protect from diabetic nephropathy.
Moreover, our findings provided a fuller understanding of the regulatory role of NF-κB and Nrf2 in DN, indicating that they could be important therapeutic targets.
Deletion of the Nrf2 gene completely abrogated the efficacies of SRT2104 and PFT-α in elevating antioxidants and ameliorating DN, despite their abilities to activate SIRT1 and inhibit P53 in the Nrf2 KO mice.
Multiple metabolic pathways of DKD have been evaluated with varying success; including mitochondrial function, reactive oxygen species, NADPH oxidase (NOX), transcription factors (NF-B and Nrf2), advanced glycation, protein kinase C (PKC), aldose reductase, JAK-STAT, autophagy, apoptosis-signaling kinase 1 (ASK1), fibrosis and epigenetics.
Bergenin can inhibit glucose-induced ECM production in glomerular mesangial cells through the down-regulation of oxidative stress via the mTOR/β-TrcP/Nrf2 pathway, and it might be a candidate drug for the prevention and treatment of DN.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the renoprotective effects of hesperetin against DN in rats, and to investigate mechanisms from the aspect of Nrf2/ARE/Glo-1 pathway.
Mechanistically, MH renal-protection from DN may be related to lipid metabolic improvement and oxidative stress attenuation along with increases in AMPK/PGC-1α/CPT1B-mediated fatty acid oxidation and Nrf2/SOD2-mediated anti-oxidative stress.
Our previous study indicated that Casein kinase 2 interacting protein-1 (CKIP-1) could promote the activation of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway, playing a significant role in inhibiting the fibrosis of diabetic nephropathy (DN).
Taken together, our results indicate that PHLPP1 up-surged Nrf2 nuclear instability by promoting Nrf2/β-TrCP association and its inhibition may be critical in the management of diabetic nephropathy.
Luciferase reporter assay and western blot further revealed that miR-27a directly targeted the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (Nrf2) and reduced its expression in type 2 DN.
Given the critical role of NRF2 in preventing DN, the present study aimed to test whether or not NRF2 is required for SP600125's protection against DN.
This study was aimed at exploring whether AST exerts a protective effect on DN via activating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2- (Nrf2-) antioxidative response element (ARE) signaling.
Thus, these results suggest that CGA is a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of DN due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects which are mediated via the modulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-ĸB pathways.
Inhibitors of CCL2/CCR2, IL-1β and JAK/STAT pathways, and Nrf2 inducers are promising therapeutic options to improve the renal outcome of patients with DN, but appropriate clinical trials are necessary.
Collectively, our data suggest that the renoprotective effect of AST on DN depends on Nrf2/ARE signaling activation, which could be a potentially therapeutic strategy in the treatment of DN.