AZD4547 Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Kidney Injury by Inhibiting Inflammation: The Role of FGFR1 in Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells

Abstract

Introduction

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI). Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) signaling is implicated in kidney pathology. AZD4547 is a small molecule inhibitor of FGFR1.

Materials and Methods

Here, we investigated whether AZD4547 could mitigate inflammatory responses in AKI. C57BL/6 mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce AKI. FGFR1 was blocked using AZD4547 or CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. After immunofluorescent double-staining of kidney tissues showing that P-FGFR1 was localized to renal tubular epithelial cells, a tubular epithelial cell line (NRK-52E) was used for in vitro analysis.

Results

AZD4547 significantly reduced renal inflammation, cell apoptosis, and kidney dysfunction in AKI mice. In vitro, treatment of NRK-52E cells with AZD4547 attenuated LPS-induced inflammatory responses and was associated with downregulated P-FGFR1 levels. These findings were further confirmed in NRK-52E cells by knocking down the expression of FGFR1.

Conclusion

Our findings provide direct evidence that FGFR1 mediates LPS-induced inflammation leading to renal dysfunction. We also show that AZD4547 is a potential therapeutic agent to reduce inflammatory responses in AKI. Both FGFR1 and AZD4547 may interesting therapeutic options to combat AKI.

Keywords:

• acute kidney injury
• lipopolysaccharide
• inflammation
• AZD4547
• renal tubular epithelial cells

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Public Welfare Science and Technology Program of Jiaxing City (grant no. 2018AY32008, 2017AY33032; Jiaxing, China); Wuxi Science and Technology Development Medical and Health Project Guiding Plan (grant no.2014 no.11; Wuxi, China); Youth research project of Wuxi No.3 people’s Hospital (grant no. 2019 no.3; Wuxi, China).

Data Sharing Statement

All other data are included within the Article or Supplementary Information or available from the authors on request.

Disclosure

The authors declare no competing financial interests in this work.