Role of autophagy in Puromycin Aminonucleoside-induced podocyte apoptosis

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between podocyte autophagy and apoptosis induced by Puromycin Aminonucleoside (PAN) and to clarify its mechanism.

Methods: Podocytes were cultured in vitro. The apoptosis rates of each group were detected using flow cytometry. The expression of LC3-II protein and changes in distribution were detected through laser scanning confocal microscope, and the western blot protocol was employed for detection of protein expression of LC3-II. The autophagosomes were detected by transmission electron microscopy.

Results: In this study, We found that autophagosome increased followed by apoptosis after podocyte injury. Furthermore, we conformed that the activation of autophagy could inhibit the apoptosis to alleviate the injury of podocyte at an early stage.

Conclusions: Autophagy occurred earlier before apoptosis and autophagy mediated podocyte apoptosis induced by PAN. These findings indicate that autophagy may become a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of podocyte injury and proteinuria in the future.

Keywords:

• Podocyte injury
• apoptosis
• autophagy
• puromycin aminonucleoside
• proteinuria

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by funding from the Science Foundation of Guangzhou First People’s Hospital [No. M2019020]; GuangDong Medical Science and Research Foundation [No. A2018539]; GuangZhou General Science and Technology Project of Health and Family Planning [No. 20181A011004]; The National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 81670652; Grant No. 81273205]. The Project of Clinical Advanced Techniques, Primary Research & Development Plan of Jiangsu Province [BE2017719] and the pediatric medical innovation team of Jiangsu Province [CXTDA2017022].