Sirolimus attenuates disease progression in an orthologous mouse model of human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), abnormal proliferation of tubular cells drives cyst development and growth. Sirolimus, an inhibitor of the protein kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and a potent anti-proliferative agent, decreases cyst growth in several genetically distinct rodent models of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). We determined here the effect of sirolimus on renal cyst growth in Pkd2WS25/− mice; an ortholog of human ADPKD involving mutation of the Pkd2 gene. In Pkd2WS25/− mice treated with sirolimus, both the two kidney/total body weight (2K/TBW) ratio and the cyst volume density (CVD) were significantly decreased by over half compared with untreated mice suffering with PKD. However, there was no effect on the increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels as an index of kidney function. There are two distinct complexes containing mTOR depending on its binding partners: mTORC1 and mTORC2. Western blot analysis of whole kidney lysates and immunohistochemistry of the cysts found that phospho-S6 ribosomal protein, a marker of mTORC1 activity, was increased in Pkd2WS25/− mice and its phosphorylation was decreased by sirolimus treatment. Phospho-Akt at serine 473, a marker associated with mTORC2 activity, was not different between Pkd2WS25/− mice and normal littermate controls. Hence, our study found that inhibition of mTORC1 by sirolimus correlated with decreased renal cyst growth in this model of human ADPKD but had no effect on the decline in renal function

Cyclic AMP activates B-Raf and ERK in cyst epithelial cells from autosomal-dominant polycystic kidneys

Cyclic AMP activates B-Raf and ERK in cyst epithelial cells from autosomal-dominant polycystic kidneys.BackgroundThe proliferation of mural epithelial cells is a major cause of progressive cyst enlargement in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Adenosine 3′, 5′ cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) stimulates the proliferation of cells from ADPKD cysts, but not cells from normal human kidney cortex (HKC), through the activation of protein kinase A (PKA), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK/MAPK). In the current study, we examined the signaling pathway between PKA and MEK in ADPKD and HKC cells.MethodsPrimary cultures of human ADPKD and HKC cells were prepared from nephrectomy specimens. We determined the effects of cAMP and epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the activation of ERK, B-Raf and Raf-1 in ADPKD and HKC cells by immune kinase assay and Western blot.Results8-Br-cAMP increased phosphorylated ERK (2.7- ± 0.6-fold, N = 7), and B-Raf kinase activity (3.6- ± 1.1-fold, N = 5) in cells from ADPKD kidneys; levels of phosphorylated Raf-1 were not changed. Inhibition of PKA by H89 strikingly decreased cAMP-stimulated phosphorylation of ERK and B-Raf, and MAPK inhibition by PD98059 blocked the effect of the nucleotide to activate ERK. By contrast, in HKC cells 8-Br-cAMP did not activate B-Raf and ERK. EGF stimulated the phosphorylation of ERK and Raf-1 in both ADPKD and HKC cells, but had no effect on B-Raf. 8-Br-cAMP and EGF conjointly increased ERK activation above that of either agonist alone in ADPKD cells, and this combined effect was abolished by PD98059, indicating that ERK was activated by EGF- and cAMP-responsive cascades that converge at MAPK.ConclusioncAMP activates ERK and increases proliferation of ADPKD epithelial cells, but not cells from normal human kidney cortex, through the sequential phosphorylation of PKA, B-Raf and MAPK in a pathway separate from, but complementary to, the classical receptor tyrosine kinase cascade. Consequently, cAMP and EGF have great potential to accelerate the progressive enlargement of renal cysts

Cyclic AMP promotes growth and secretion in human polycystic kidney epithelial cells11See Editorial by Torres, p. 1283.

Cyclic AMP promotes growth and secretion in human polycystic kidney epithelial cells.BackgroundProgressive cyst enlargement, the hallmark of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and autosomal-recessive (ARPKD) polycystic kidney disease, precedes the eventual decline of function in these conditions. The expansion of individual cysts in ADPKD is determined to a major extent by mural epithelial cell proliferation and transepithelial fluid secretion. This study determined if common receptor-mediated agonists and an anonymous lipid stimulate the production of 3′ 5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in mural epithelial cells from the two major types of human cystic diseases.MethodscAMP responses to maximally effective concentrations of renal agonists were determined together with measurements of transepithelial anion current and cellular proliferation and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK 1/2) expression in primary cultures of epithelial cells from human ADPKD and ARPKD cysts.ResultsThe rank orders of responses to ligands for ADPKD and ARPKD cells were identical: epinephrine > desmopressin (DDAVP) ≈ arginine vasopressin (AVP) > adenosine > prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) > parathyroid hormone (PTH). cAMP concentrations elevated by epinephrine, DDAVP, adenosine, and PGE2 were diminished by receptor-specific inhibitors. Pools of cyst fluid collected individually from 16 of 19 ADPKD kidneys increased, to varying degrees, cAMP levels in ADPKD and ARPKD cells. PGE2, β-adrenergic and AVP antagonists partially inhibited cAMP accmulation in response to fluids from three kidneys, but a large portion of the endogenous activity was attributed to yet-to-be identified bioactive lipid, designated cyst activating factor (CAF). CAF stimulated cAMP production in ADPKD and ARPKD cells, activated ERK1/2, and increased cellular proliferation in ADPKD cells. CAF increased positive short circuit current (ISC) in polarized ADPKD and T-84 monolayers, indicating stimulation of net anion secretion.ConclusionEndogenous adenylyl cyclase agonists promote cell proliferation and electrolyte secretion of human ADPKD and ARPKD cells in vitro. We suggest that increased levels of cAMP may accelerate cyst growth and overall renal enlargement in patients with PKD