Augmenting autophagy to treat acute kidney injury during endotoxemia in mice.

OBJECTIVE

To determine that 1) an age-dependent loss of inducible autophagy underlies the failure to recover from AKI in older, adult animals during endotoxemia, and 2) pharmacologic induction of autophagy, even after established endotoxemia, is of therapeutic utility in facilitating renal recovery in aged mice.

DESIGN

Murine model of endotoxemia and cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) induced acute kidney injury (AKI).

SETTING

Academic research laboratory.

SUBJECTS

C57Bl/6 mice of 8 (young) and 45 (adult) weeks of age.

INTERVENTION

Lipopolysaccharide (1.5 mg/kg), Temsirolimus (5 mg/kg), AICAR (100 mg/kg).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Herein we report that diminished autophagy underlies the failure to recover renal function in older adult mice utilizing a murine model of LPS-induced AKI. The administration of the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus, even after established endotoxemia, induced autophagy and protected against the development of AKI.

CONCLUSIONS

These novel results demonstrate a role for autophagy in the context of LPS-induced AKI and support further investigation into like interventions that have potential to alter the natural history of disease.