Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain Inhibitor Protects Against Metabolic Disorders and Associated Kidney Disease in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Mice
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BASIC RESEARCH www.jasn.org Prolyl Hydroxylase Domain Inhibitor Protects against Metabolic Disorders and Associated Kidney Disease in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Mice Mai Sugahara,1 Shinji Tanaka ,1 Tetsuhiro Tanaka,1 Hisako Saito,1 Yu Ishimoto,1 Takeshi Wakashima,2 Masatoshi Ueda,2 Kenji Fukui,2 Akira Shimizu,3 Reiko Inagi,4 Toshimasa Yamauchi,5 Takashi Kadowaki,5 and Masaomi Nangaku1 Due to the number of contributing authors, the affiliations are listed at the end of this article. ABSTRACT Background Prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) inhibitors, which stimulate erythropoietin production through the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), are novel therapeutic agents used for treating renal anemia. Several PHD inhibitors, including enarodustat, are currently undergoing phase 2 or phase 3 clinical trials. Because HIF regulates a broad spectrum of genes, PHD inhibitors are expected to have other effects in addition to erythropoiesis, such as protection against metabolic disorders. However, whether such beneficial effects would extend to metabolic disorder–related kidney disease is largely unknown. Methods We administered enarodustat or vehicle without enarodustat in feed to diabetic black and tan brachyury (BTBR) ob/ob mice from 4 to 22 weeks of age. To elucidate molecular changes induced by enarodustat, we performed transcriptome analysis of isolated glomeruli and in vitro experiments using murine mesangial cells. Results Compared with BTBR ob/ob mice that received only vehicle, BTBR ob/ob mice treated with enarodustat displayed lower body weight, reduced blood glucose levels with improved insulin sensitivity, lower total cholesterol levels, higher adiponectin levels, and less adipose tissue, as well as a tendency for lower macrophage infiltration. Enarodustat-treated mice also exhibited reduced albuminuria and amelio- ration of glomerular epithelial and endothelial damage. Transcriptome analysis of isolated glomeruli revealed reduced expression of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2/MCP-1) in enarodustat-treated mice compared with the vehicle-only group, accompanied by re- duced glomerular macrophage infiltration. In vitro experiments demonstrated that both local HIF-1 acti- vation and restoration of adiponectin by enarodustat contributed to CCL2/MCP-1 reduction in mesangial cells. Conclusions These results indicate that the PHD inhibitor enarodustat has potential renoprotective effects in addition to its potential to protect against metabolic disorders. JASN 31: 560–577, 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2019060582 Prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) inhibitors are Received June 9, 2019. Accepted December 12, 2019. novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of renal M.S. and S.T. contributed equally to this work. anemia, among which at least five compounds are 1,2 Published online ahead of print. Publication date available at being evaluated in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. www.jasn.org. They stimulate erythropoietin production by acti- Correspondence: Dr. Tetsuhiro Tanaka, Division of Nephrology vating hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a transcrip- and Endocrinology, The University of Tokyo Graduate School tion factor responsible for the induction of genes of Medicine, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. that facilitate cellular adaptation to hypoxic condi- Email: [email protected] tions. HIF is a heterodimer consisting of a Copyright © 2020 by the American Society of Nephrology 560 ISSN : 1046-6673/3103-560 JASN 31: 560–577, 2020 www.jasn.org BASIC RESEARCH constitutively expressed b subunit and an oxygen-regulated a Significance Statement subunit. Under normoxic conditions, PHDs hydroxylate spe- cific proline residues of HIF-a. Proline-hydroxylated HIF-a is Prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) inhibitors, primarily developed to then recognized by the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-E3 ubiqui- treat renal anemia, stimulate erythropoietin production through tin ligase complex, resulting in HIF-a ubiquitination and sub- activation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Because HIF affects a broad spectrum of genes, PHD inhibitors are thought likely to have sequent proteasomal degradation. Under hypoxic conditions, other effects, including protection against metabolic disorders. The hydroxylation of HIF-a is inhibited, allowing translocation to authors show that in obese type 2 diabetic mice, administration of the nucleus where dimerization with HIF-b and binding to the the PHD inhibitor enarodustat not only improves glucose and lipid hypoxia response element occurs, inducing transcription of metabolism, but also reduces albuminuria and ameliorates glo- target genes. Mammals have three principal isoforms of merular epithelial and endothelial damage. Enarodustat-treated a a a a a a mice also exhibit reduced glomerular expression and urinary HIF- :HIF-1 ,HIF-2 ,andHIF-3 .HIF-1 and HIF-2 excretion of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemo- share similar domain architecture and undergo analogous attractant protein-1 (CCL2/MCP-1). The authors further demon- proteolytic regulation, but have different distribution pat- strate that enarodustat directly suppresses CCL2/MCP-1 production terns and partly overlapping, but largely nonredundant, via HIF-1 activation in mesangial cells. These results indicate that functions.TheroleofHIF-3a is not yet fully understood. enarodustat has renoprotective effects in addition to its potential to protect against metabolic disorders. There are also three isoforms of PHD enzymes, PHD1, PHD2, and PHD3, among which PHD2 is the major regu- lator of HIF activity.3,4 fibrosis, we administered enarodustat to black and tan bra- Because the PHD-HIF oxygen-sensing pathway is a ubiq- chyury (BTBR) ob/ob mice. Because of the lack of appetite uitous system regulating a broad spectrum of genes, PHD in- inhibitory hormone leptin, BTBR ob/ob mice develop obe- hibitors are anticipated to have other effects in addition to sity, hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, and massive pro- erythropoiesis.5 One of the anticipated benefits is their poten- teinuria.20 Here, we report that 18-week administration of tial ability to protect against metabolic disorders. A preclinical enarodustat not only improved glucose and lipid metabolism, study demonstrated that administration of a PHD inhibitor, but also reduced albuminuria, and ameliorated glomerular FG-4497, ameliorated diet-induced glucose intolerance and epithelial and endothelial damage, without worsening tubu- decreased visceral adiposity in mice.6 Enarodustat (JTZ- lointerstitial fibrosis. Transcriptome analysis of isolated glo- 951), another PHD inhibitor currently undergoing clinical meruli and in vitro experiments suggested that suppression of trials,7 also protects mice from high-fat diet–induced obesity C-C motif chemokine ligand 2/monocyte chemoattractant and dyslipidemia, effects partly attributed to reduced inflam- protein-1 (CCL2/MCP-1) production in mesangial cells con- mation in adipose tissue.8 In line with these animal studies, tributed to enarodustat’s protective role against glomerular clinical trials of roxadustat revealed reduced total cholesterol injury. These results indicated additional benefits of PHD levels in the drug-treated group.9,10 inhibitors, especially in patients with diabetes- and obesity- The aim of treating metabolic disorders is to prevent the related kidney disease. development of complications, including cardiovascular dysfunction and CKD. Although PHD inhibition has been demonstrated to protect against stroke11 and myocardial infarc- METHODS tion,12 and to inhibit atherosclerosis in LDL receptor-deficient mice,13 PHD inhibitors’ effects on metabolic disorder–related Animal Studies kidney disease have not been fully elucidated to date. Several Four-week-old male BTBR ob/ob mice (Jackson Laboratory, preclinical studies have revealed that systemic PHD inhibition Bar Harbor, ME) were randomly assigned to vehicle-only and ameliorates AKI induced by ischemia-reperfusion and cis- enarodustat-treated groups. Enarodustat was mixed in feed platin therapy.14–16 However, stabilization of HIF-1 in kidney with three different concentrations; low, 0.015 mg/g; interme- proximal tubules by genetic deletion of Vhl promoted tubu- diate, 0.05 mg/g; high, 0.15 mg/g (vehicle only, n56; low, n58; lointerstitial fibrosis in a 5/6 renal ablation model,17 which intermediate, n57; high, n58). Mice were killed at 22 weeks raised the concern that long-term supraphysiological HIF ac- of age, after a 6-hour starvation period. Only mice treated with tivation might promote CKD. The prospect of HIF activation the intermediate dose of enarodustat exhibited adequate he- in diabetic kidney disease is also controversial: whereas ad- matocrit increase without apparent toxicity. Therefore, fur- ministration of cobalt chloride, which inhibits PHD activity, ther metabolic and renal investigations were conducted using reduced proteinuria and ameliorated tubulointerstitial injury BTBR ob/ob mice treated with vehicle only and 0.05 mg/g of in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats,18 administration of a enarodustat (approximately 8–10 mg/kg body wt per day). HIF inhibitor also reduced albuminuria and attenuated glo- BTBR wild-type mice (n55) fed with vehicle-only food were merular expansion in type 1 diabetic OVE26 mice.19 also used to highlight the characteristic changes induced by To determine whether long-term administration of PHD obesity and type 2 diabetes. All animal experiments were ap- inhibitors improves metabolic disorder–related kidney disease