Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 21, 2026

New Application of an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet as a Neuro-protective Agent Against Glucose Deprivation-induced Injury of SH-SY5Y Cells
Published on: October 9, 2017
BRD4 contributes to high-glucose-induced podocyte injury by modulating Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling
Hong Zuo1, Shujin Wang1, Jia Feng1
1Department of Endocrinology, the Ninth Hospital of Xian, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi Province, China.
Abstract:
High glucose (HG)-induced podocyte injury contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, a severe complication of diabetes. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) has emerged as a critical regulator for cell injury. However, whether BRD4 participates in HG-induced podocyte injury remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential role of BRD4 in regulating HG-induced podocyte injury and its underlying molecular mechanism. HG exposure significantly upregulated BRD4 in podocytes. BRD4 inhibition by small interfering RNA or its chemical inhibitor (JQ1) markedly repressed HG-induced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. By contrast, BRD4 overexpression exacerbated HG-induced podocyte injury. Moreover, BRD4 inhibition potentiated nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) signaling associated with suppression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein (Keap1). BRD4 inhibition promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation and upregulated the transcriptional activity of Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE). However, Nrf2 silencing partially reversed BRD4-inhibition-mediated protection against HG-induced podocyte injury. Overall, these results suggest that BRD4 inhibition confers cytoprotection against HG injury in podocytes through potentiation of Nrf2/ARE antioxidant signaling. This finding implicates BRD4/Nrf2/ARE signaling in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.
More Related Videos
07:15Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Published on: August 23, 2024
08:06Guided Differentiation of Mature Kidney Podocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Chemically Defined Conditions
Published on: July 2, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
Glucose Homeostasis: Regulation of Blood Glucose
During fasting, when blood glucose levels are low, the pancreas secretes glucagon. it...
Wechsler's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
Glucose Transporters
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
Bacterial Signaling
What is Cell Signaling?