Unlocking renal Restoration: Mesaconine from Aconitum plants restore mitochondrial function to halt cell apoptosis in acute kidney injury

Abstract

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by a sudden decline in renal function. Traditional Chinese medicine has employed Fuzi for kidney diseases; however, concerns about neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity have constrained its clinical use. This study explored mesaconine, derived from processed Fuzi, as a promising low-toxicity alternative for AKI treatment. In this study, we assessed the protective effects of mesaconine in gentamicin (GM)-induced NRK-52E cells and AKI rat models in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Mesaconine promotes the proliferation of damaged NRK-52E cells and down-regulates intracellular transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) to promote renal cell repair. Concurrently, mesaconine restored mitochondrial morphology and permeability transition pores, reversed the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, mitigated mitochondrial dysfunction, decreased ATP production, inhibited inflammatory factor release, and reduced early apoptosis rates. In vivo, GM-induced AKI rat models exhibited elevated AKI biomarkers, in which mesaconine was effectively reduced, indicating improved renal function. Mesaconine enhanced superoxide dismutase activity, reduced malondialdehyde content, alleviated inflammatory infiltrate, mitigated tubular and glomerular lesions, and downregulated NF-κB (nuclear factor-κb) p65 expression, leading to decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-1β (interleukin-1β) levels in GM-induced AKI animals. Furthermore, mesaconine inhibited the expression of renal pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, cytochrome c, cleaved-caspase 9, and cleaved-caspase 3) and induced the release of the anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2, further suppressing apoptosis. This study highlighted the therapeutic potential of mesaconine in GM-induced AKI. Its multifaceted mechanisms, including the restoration of mitochondrial dysfunction, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and apoptosis mitigation, make mesaconine a promising candidate for further exploration in AKI management.