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Title: Indoxyl glucuronide, a protein-bound uremic toxin, inhibits hypoxia-inducible factor‒dependent erythropoietin expression through activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor

Journal Article · · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
; ;  [1]
  1. Safety Research Center, Kureha Corporation, 3-26-2 Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-8503 (Japan)

Highlights: • Indoxyl glucuronide (IG) is a protein-bound uremic toxin. • IG inhibited hypoxia-induced HIF transcriptional activation and EPO expression. • IG activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathway. • The AHR antagonist abolished the inhibitory effect of IG on HIF activation. • IG-induced activation of AHR may contribute to the progression of renal anemia. Renal anemia is common among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and is mainly caused by inadequate erythropoietin (EPO) production from kidneys due to dysfunction of intracellular hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signaling in renal EPO-producing cells. We have previously shown that indoxyl sulfate (IS), a representative protein-bound uremic toxin accumulated in the blood of CKD patients, inhibits hypoxia-induced HIF activation and subsequent EPO production through activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). In this study, we further investigated the effects of other protein-bound uremic toxins on HIF-dependent EPO expression using EPO-producing HepG2 cells. We found that indoxyl glucuronide (IG) and IS, but not p-cresyl sulfate, phenyl sulfate, 3-indoleacetic acid or hippuric acid, inhibited hypoxia mimetic cobalt chloride-induced EPO mRNA expression. Furthermore, IG at concentrations similar to the blood levels in CKD patients inhibited the transcriptional activation of HIF induced by both cobalt chloride treatment and hypoxic culture. IG also induced CYP1A1 mRNA expression and nuclear translocation of AHR protein, indicating that IG activates AHR signaling. Blockade of AHR by a pharmacological antagonist CH-223191 abolished the IG-induced inhibition of HIF activation. Collectively, this study is the first to elucidate the biological effects of IG to inhibit HIF-dependent EPO production through activation of AHR. Our data suggests that not only IS but also IG contributes to the impairment of HIF signaling in renal anemia.

OSTI ID:
23107902
Journal Information:
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 504, Issue 2; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0006-291X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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