Carnitine, apelin and resveratrol regulate mitochondrial quality control (QC) related proteins and ameliorate acute kidney injury: role of hydrogen peroxide

Mitochondrial impairment is recognised as a prominent feature in kidney diseases. Therefore, we investigated whether the effects of resveratrol, L-carnitine, and apelin in the acute kidney injury model were associated with modulation of mitochondrial quality control (QC) related proteins, intra-renal renin-angiotensin (RAS) activity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Na+-K(+)ATPase gene expression. Rats were randomly assigned to 7 groups: Distilled water injected control group, DMSO injected control group, distilled water injected lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, DMSO injected LPS group, resveratrol injected LPS group, L-carnitine injected LPS group and apelin 13 injected LPS group. We observed that resveratrol, L-carnitine, and apelin treatments altered mitochondrial (QC) related protein levels (Pink1, Parkin, BNIP-3, Drp1, and PGC1 alpha), decreased intra-renal RAS parameters, increased ATP level and upregulated Na+-K(+)ATPase gene expression in renal tissue. Our results provide new insight into the role of mitochondrial quality control and how different antioxidants exert beneficial effects on acute kidney injury.

Automated summary

The study found that the treatments of resveratrol, L-carnitine, and apelin can alter mitochondrial related protein levels, decrease intra-renal RAS parameters, increase ATP level, and upregulate Na+-K(+)ATPase gene expression in renal tissue, providing new insights into the role of mitochondrial quality control and the beneficial effects of antioxidants on acute kidney injury.