Prevention of kidney cell damage in hyperglycaemia condition by adiponectin

Adiponectin (APN) is an adipocytokine, secreted from adipose tissue and has anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, and antidiabetic properties. Hyperglycaemia can damage the renal cells, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), along with Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), have an important role in kidney cell response to hyperglycaemia. Therefore, understanding the relationship between adiponectin, mTOR, and SIRT1 proteins is beneficial for deciphering the mechanism of adiponectin function. In this study, Human Embryonic Kidney-293 (HEK-293) cells were cultured under normal and high-glucose condition, with and without APN (1, 10, and 100 ng/mL) for 48 hours. mTOR protein expression was evaluated by western blot analysis, and SIRT1 protein was assessed using ELISA method. To evaluate hyperglycaemia-mediated cytotoxicity, cell viability was determined using MTT assay. Data showed that APN in high dose (100 ng/mL) significantly reduced the expression of mTOR and p-mTOR, increased SIRT1 protein, and also improved cell viability compared with the control high glucose (p ≤ 0.05). According to this results, APN can be useful in preventing renal cell damage, by affecting on the expression of mTOR and SIRT1 proteins, as well as increasing the survival of kidney cells in hyperglycaemia conditions. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Adiponectin triggered mTOR/p-mTOR/SIRT1 pathway and decreased cell death in human kidney cells. Our findings provide preliminary experimental data that support further studies on the potential therapeutic role of adiponectin in diabetes and diabetic-induced metabolic complications.