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Updated: Nov 5, 2025

Reverse Yeast Two-hybrid System to Identify Mammalian Nuclear Receptor Residues that Interact with Ligands and/or Antagonists
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Response to comment on "Nuclear receptor PXR targets AKR1B7 to protect mitochondrial metabolism and renal function in

Xiaowen Yu1,2,3, Yue Zhang4,2,3, Zhanjun Jia4,2,3

  • 1Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210008, China.

Science Translational Medicine
|May 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) protects mice from acute kidney injury caused by reduced blood flow to the kidneys. This nuclear receptor plays a key role in mitigating kidney damage during ischemia and reperfusion events.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Renal physiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Acute kidney injury (AKI) following renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is a significant clinical challenge.
  • The nuclear pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in xenobiotic metabolism and homeostasis.
  • The role of PXR in renal I/R injury remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the protective role of the nuclear pregnane X receptor (PXR) against bilateral renal ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in a murine model.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mouse model of bilateral renal ischemia/reperfusion.
  • Administered PXR activators and PXR knockout mice to assess the receptor's function.
  • Evaluated kidney function and injury markers, including serum creatinine and histological damage.

Main Results:

  • Activation of PXR significantly reduced renal dysfunction and tissue damage following I/R.
  • PXR knockout mice exhibited exacerbated kidney injury compared to wild-type controls.
  • PXR activation demonstrated a protective effect against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Conclusions:

  • The nuclear pregnane X receptor (PXR) confers significant protection against experimental renal ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury.
  • Targeting PXR may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing or treating AKI.

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