Sirtuin-3 mediates sex differences in kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury

Studies suggest that biological sex influences susceptibility to kidney diseases with males demonstrating greater risk for developing ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI). Sex-related differences in mitochondrial function and homeostasis exist, likely contributing to sexual dimorphism in kidney injury, but the mechanisms are not well characterized. Our observations reveal lower baseline expression of Sirtuin-3 (Sirt3, a major mitochondrial acetyltransferase) in the kidneys of male mice versus females. We tested the hypothesis that differential expression of kidney Sirt3 may mediate sexual dimorphism in AKI using a bilateral kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) model and three transgenic mouse models: (1) mice with global transgenic overexpression of Sirt3; (2) mice with inducible, kidney tubule-specific Sirt3 knockdown (iKD); and (3) mice with global Sirt3 knockout. Low mitochondrial Sirt3 (mtSirt3) in males versus females is associated with development of kidney tubular epithelium vacuoles, increased mitochondrial ROS and susceptibility to IRI. Transgenic overexpression of Sirt3 in males protects against kidney IRI and development of tubular epithelium vacuoles. In both sexes, mice with partial kidney tubular epithelium-specific Sirt3 knockdown display intermediate - while global Sirt3 knockout mice display the highest susceptibility to IRI. Female Sirt3 iKD mice demonstrate decreased survival and kidney function after IRI indistinguishable from control males, abolishing the protective effects observed in females. Mechanistically, observed differences in kidney mtSirt3 are sex hormone-dependent; estradiol increases - while testosterone decreases mtSirt3 protein. Our results demonstrate that Sirt3 is an important contributor to the observed sex-related differences in IRI susceptibility, and a potential therapeutic target in the clinical management of AKI.