Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 6, 2026
14:08
Study of Protein-protein Interactions in Autophagy Research
Published on: September 9, 2017
9.6K
Rhein Inhibits Autophagy in Rat Renal Tubular Cells by Regulation of AMPK/mTOR Signaling
Yue Tu1,2, Liubao Gu3, Diping Chen2
1Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
Scientific Reports
|March 3, 2017
Summary
Rhubarb and its compound rhein may treat chronic kidney disease (CKD) by reducing renal fibrosis and inhibiting autophagy. Rhein targets key signaling pathways, offering new therapeutic strategies for CKD patients.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Pharmacology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant health concern.
- Autophagy plays a critical role in CKD pathogenesis.
- The therapeutic mechanisms of rhubarb and its component rhein in CKD remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of rhubarb on renal fibrosis and autophagy in adenine-induced CKD in rats.
- To examine the impact of rhein on autophagic pathways in rat renal tubular cells.
- To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of rhubarb and rhein in treating CKD.
Main Methods:
- Adenine-induced renal tubular injury model in rats.
- Rhubarb administration to assess effects on renal fibrosis and autophagy.
- Rhein treatment of rat renal tubular cells to analyze autophagic pathway modulation.
- Western blot analysis to examine key signaling molecules (AMPK, mTOR, Erk, p38 MAPK).
Main Results:
- Autophagic activation and renal fibrosis were observed in rats with adenine-induced renal tubular injury.
- Rhubarb treatment attenuated both autophagy and renal fibrosis in these rats.
- Rhein inhibited autophagy by regulating the AMPK-dependent mTOR signaling pathway and Erk/p38 MAPKs pathways.
Conclusions:
- Autophagy and renal fibrosis are linked in CKD, and rhubarb can mitigate both.
- Rhein exerts its effects by modulating crucial cellular signaling pathways involved in autophagy.
- Targeting autophagy and related signaling pathways presents a promising therapeutic strategy for managing renal fibrosis in CKD.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
6.0K
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast, mTORC2 consists of a...
6.0K
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
5.0K
The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
The mTOR pathway or the...
5.0K
01:27Autophagy
6.0K
Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
6.0K
01:07MAPK Signaling Cascades
8.9K
Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
8.9K
01:20The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
13.5K
Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as SH2...
13.5K