Abstract
Autophagy has been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on diabetic nephropathy (DN). Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, was shown to stimulate β-cell autophagy. However, its effects on preventing or ameliorating DN is unclear, and its effects are worth studying. As fasting is now an attractive protective strategy, we aim to compare its effect to rapamycin effects on pancreatic and renal cells. Twenty-eight adult male Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups, using streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes mellitus (DM). Autophagy was induced by two ways; rapamycin or fasting. The extent of autophagy and apoptosis were investigated by measuring the level of LC3B and p53 proteins, respectively, in pancreatic and kidney tissues using Western blotting (WB) technique and imaging the renal cells under transmission electron microscope. The efflux transporter P-glycoprotein was quantified by WB as well. Rapamycin-induced autophagy occurred concurrently with apoptosis. On the other hand, fasting supported P-glycoprotein recovery and renal cell survival together with disabling β-cells apoptosis. In conclusion, this study provides a potential link between rapamycin or fasting for the cross-regulation of apoptosis and autophagy in the setting of cell stress as DN. Unlike rapamycin, fasting enhanced the active expression of ABCB1 efflux protein, providing insights on the potential ameliorative effects of fasting in DN that require further elucidation.
Highlights
Autophagy has been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on diabetic nephropathy (DN)
Compelling evidence has shown the role of fasting in adaptive cellular responses that protect against inflammation and oxidative damage and optimize energy metabolism [6]
It was shown that fasting mediates the activity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin, resulting in induction of autophagy and cell repair mechanisms, while mitochondrial biogenesis and life span are increased experimentally [7,8,9]
Summary
Autophagy has been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on diabetic nephropathy (DN). An inhibitor of mTOR, was shown to stimulate β-cell autophagy. As fasting is an attractive protective strategy, we aim to compare its effect to rapamycin effects on pancreatic and renal cells. This study provides a potential link between rapamycin or fasting for the cross-regulation of apoptosis and autophagy in the setting of cell stress as DN. Unlike rapamycin, fasting enhanced the active expression of ABCB1 efflux protein, providing insights on the potential ameliorative effects of fasting in DN that require further elucidation. It was shown that fasting mediates the activity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), resulting in induction of autophagy and cell repair mechanisms, while mitochondrial biogenesis and life span are increased experimentally [7,8,9]. Play a pivotal role in diabetic complications and could be considered as a potential therapeutic target for amelioration of these complications [10]
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