RIPK3 causes mitochondrial dysfunction and albuminuria in diabetic podocytopathy through PGAM5-Drp1 signaling

Receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK)3 is an essential molecule for necroptosis and its role in kidney fibrosis has been investigated using various kidney injury models. However, the relevance and the underlying mechanisms of RIPK3 to podocyte injury in albuminuric diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of RIPK3 in glomerular injury of DKD.

We analyzed RIPK3 expression levels in the kidneys of patients with biopsy-proven DKD and animal models of DKD. Additionally, to confirm the clinical significance of circulating RIPK3, RIPK3 was measured by ELISA in plasma obtained from a prospective observational cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), which are indicators of renal function, were followed up during the observation period. To investigate the role of RIPK3 in glomerular damage in DKD, we induced a DKD model using a high-fat diet in Ripk3 knockout and wild-type mice. To assess whether mitochondrial dysfunction and albuminuria in DKD take a Ripk3-dependent pathway, we used single-cell RNA sequencing of kidney cortex and immortalized podocytes treated with high glucose or overexpressing RIPK3.

RIPK3 expression was increased in podocytes of diabetic glomeruli with increased albuminuria and decreased podocyte numbers. Plasma RIPK3 levels were significantly elevated in albuminuric diabetic patients than in non-diabetic controls (p = 0.002) and non-albuminuric diabetic patients (p = 0.046). The participants in the highest tertile of plasma RIPK3 had a higher incidence of renal progression (hazard ratio [HR] 2.29 [1.05-4.98]) and incident chronic kidney disease (HR 4.08 [1.10-15.13]). Ripk3 knockout improved albuminuria, podocyte loss, and renal ultrastructure in DKD mice. Increased mitochondrial fragmentation, upregulated mitochondrial fission-related proteins such as phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5) and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), and mitochondrial ROS were decreased in podocytes of Ripk3 knockout DKD mice. In cultured podocytes, RIPK3 inhibition attenuated mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial dysfunction by decreasing p-mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), PGAM5, and p-Drp1 S616 and mitochondrial translocation of Drp1.

The study demonstrates that RIPK3 reflects deterioration of renal function of DKD. In addition, RIPK3 induces diabetic podocytopathy by regulating mitochondrial fission via PGAM5-Drp1 signaling through MLKL. Inhibition of RIPK3 might be a promising therapeutic option for treating DKD.