Endoplasmic reticulum stress participates in inflammation-accelerated, lipid-mediated injury of human glomerular mesangial cells.

AIM

The mechanism of lipid-mediated injury of human glomerular mesangial cells (HMCs) remains unclear. We investigated the association between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and lipid-mediated injury in HMCs in vitro and the potential efficacy of a therapeutic approach targeting ER stress.

METHODS

Human glomerular mesangial cells were exposed to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and/or interleukin-1β (IL-1β). For evaluation of whether ER stress participates in lipid-mediated injury to HMCs, HMCs were pretreated with tunicamycin or treated with sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA).

RESULTS

Incubation of HMCs with LDL + IL-1β significantly increased lipid accumulation and induced phenotypic changes. ER stress was induced in lipid-loaded HMCs, as indicated by upregulation of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK) proteins. Moreover, persistent ER stress increased expression of nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 protein, fibronectin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) mRNA partly through the PERK - eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF2α) pathway. Preconditioning with ER stress by tunicamycin and inhibition of ER stress by 4-PBA both reversed the phenotypic changes and decreased lipid accumulation and inflammatory cytokine secretion by the PERK - eIF2α pathway.

CONCLUSION

These data provide evidence that ER stress participates in inflammation associated with lipid-induced injury of HMCs. Modulation of ER stress may be a novel therapeutic approach for combating lipid-induced injury of HMCs.