Frontiers in Endocrinology (Aug 2022)

Melatonin alleviates renal injury by activating mitophagy in diabetic nephropathy

  • Hanfen Tang,
  • Hanfen Tang,
  • Ming Yang,
  • Ming Yang,
  • Yinghong Liu,
  • Yinghong Liu,
  • Xuejing Zhu,
  • Xuejing Zhu,
  • Shiping Liu,
  • Hong Liu,
  • Hong Liu,
  • Lin Sun,
  • Lin Sun,
  • Panai Song,
  • Panai Song

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.889729
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Diabetic nephropathy (DN) causes serious renal tubule and interstitial damage, but effective prevention and treatment measures are lacking. Abnormal mitophagy may be involved in the progression of DN, but its upstream and downstream regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Melatonin, a pineal hormone associated with circadian rhythms, is involved in regulating mitochondrial homeostasis. Here, we demonstrated abnormal mitophagy in the kidneys of DN mice or high glucose (HG)-treated HK-2 cells, which was accompanied by increased oxidative stress and inflammation. At the same time, the melatonin treatment alleviated kidney damage. After mitochondrial isolation, we found that melatonin promoted AMPK phosphorylation and accelerated the translocation of PINK1 and Parkin to the mitochondria, thereby activating mitophagy, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting inflammation. Interestingly, the renal protective effect of melatonin can be partially blocked by downregulation of PINK1 and inhibition of AMPK. Our studies demonstrated for the first time that melatonin plays a protective role in DN through the AMPK-PINK1-mitophagy pathway.

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