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Glycyrrhizic Acid Protects Glomerular Podocytes Induced by High Glucose by Modulating SNARK/AMPK Signaling Pathway

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Abstract

Objective

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most important microvascular complications of diabetes, which mainly refers to glomerular capillary sclerosis. Podocytes are an important part of glomerular capillaries. Previous clinical and basic studies have shown that fibrosis is the main factor of diabetic nephropathy. This study aimed to assess the protective mechanism of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) on glomerular podocytes induced by high glucose as we hypothesized that GA may have antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects on podocytes through regulation of the adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/sucrose nonfermenting AMPK-related kinase (SNARK) signaling pathway.

Methods

SNARK siRNA was used to transfect podocytes. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining assays were used for molecular and pathological analysis. The expression levels of key pathway proteins (including TGF-β1, α-SMA, SITR1, AMPKα, LKB1, PGC-1α, NF-κB, IL-6, and TNF-α) were verified by Western blotting. The expression of inflammatory factors in podocytes was detected by ELISA.

Results

We demonstrated that GA decreased the expression of podocyte fibrosis signaling pathway-related factors by upregulating the AMPK pathway and its related factors. However, after transfection of podocytes with SNARK siRNA, there was an increased expression of fibrosis-related factors and inflammation-related factors.

Conclusion

GA can protect podocytes and alleviate fibrosis and inflammation induced by high glucose, which is related to the AMPK signaling pathway. Meanwhile, knockdown of SNARK protein can inhibit the AMPK signaling pathway, aggravate fibrosis, and increase inflammation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Basic Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China

    Tian-qi Zhao, Xue Cao & Shao-zhang Hou

  2. School of Nursing, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China

    Yuan Li

  3. Department of Pathology, People’s Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan, 750004, China

    Miao Zhang

  4. Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China

    Meng-chao Zhao

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  1. Tian-qi Zhao
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  2. Yuan Li
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  3. Miao Zhang
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  4. Meng-chao Zhao
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Correspondence to Shao-zhang Hou.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Ningxia Province (No. 2021AAC03296).

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Zhao, Tq., Li, Y., Zhang, M. et al. Glycyrrhizic Acid Protects Glomerular Podocytes Induced by High Glucose by Modulating SNARK/AMPK Signaling Pathway. CURR MED SCI 43, 696–707 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-023-2765-y

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