Role of Nox4 in Angiotensin II‐Mediated Changes in Volume Dynamics and Nitric Oxide Production in Podocytes
Authors: Palygin Oleg , Spires Denisha R , Ilatovskaya Daria V. , Levchenko Vladislav , Cowley Allen , Staruschenko Alexander 
Published: June 2021

Nitric oxide (NO) is a powerful vasodilator that serves important functions in the kidney such as regulation of renal hemodynamics, pressure natriuresis, and diuresis. Significant reduction in NO production has been found to play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Our recent studies revealed that Angiotensin II (Ang II), in addition to causing a release of calcium, stimulates NO production in the glomerular podocytes. This signaling pathway can be also triggered by extracellular application of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and is significantly reduced with the development of salt‐sensitive hypertension and kidney injury in Dahl salt‐sensitive (SS) rats (Palygin et al., Nitric Oxide, 2018). Recently, using a knock out of NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) in SS rats (SSNox4−/−), one of the primary source of renal reactive oxygen species (ROS) and specifically H2O2 we described the reduction in intracellular calcium activation in podocytes as well as H2O2 production in isolated glomeruli in response to Ang II (Ilatovskaya et al., J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018). Overall, SSNox4−/− rats displayed a protective phenotype with a significant reduction of albuminuria, glomeruli injury and reduction in the elevation of blood pressure under high salt challenge (Cowley et al., Hypertension, 2016). Here we used this model to characterize the effects of alterations in the balance in the relationship between ROS and NO production in podocytes and establish the relation between Nox4 and glomerular/podocyte volume dynamics. The in vivo concentration of H2O2, measured by biosensors amperometry as catalase sensitive current, was significantly reduced in both cortex and medullar parts of the SSNox4−/− rat kidney compared to wild type SS rats, indicating a direct association between Nox4 and the production of renal ROS. We found that acute application of Ang II promoted opposite changes in glomeruli and podocyte volumes, where glomeruli volume decreased, and podocyte volume increased approximately by 18% in SS rats. Overall, SSNox4−/− rats exhibited an increase in total NO production (by 16% to compare with SS), calculated using confocal microscopy as a total integral of NO fluorescent transient (DAF‐FM dye) in the population of podocytes within a freshly isolated glomerulus. In SSNox4−/− rats the elevation in NO together with declining in H2O2 levels directly correlated with an increase of podocyte volume in response to Ang II (13% vs. SS control). We anticipate a rapid podocyte volume change dependent on intracellular NO production and reflecting the ability of these cells to dynamically regulate the permeability of glomeruli filtration barrier. Thus far, we can conclude that in the absence of Nox4 the podocytes shift the ROS production in response to Ang II towards the increase of intracellular NO bioavailability and a decrease of renal H2O2 production. This mechanism may play a key role in the protection of glomeruli form oxidative stress and elevation of blood pressure during the development of salt‐sensitive hypertension.

Support or Funding Information

NHLBI R35 HL135749; P01 HL116264; AHA 18PRE34030127; ADA 1‐15‐BS‐172; DK‐020595 Pilot & Feasibility project

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.