Vaccination against type 1 angiotensin receptor prevents streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy

ABSTRACT: Recently, our group has developed a therapeutic hypertensive vaccine against angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 receptor (AT1R) named ATRQβ-001. To explore its potential effectiveness on streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy, male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: a control and a diabetic model. After 1 week, the diabetic rats were divided into four subgroups (each with 15 rats) for 14-week treatments with saline, olmesartan, ATRQβ-001, and Qβ virus-like particle (VLP), respectively. In addition to lower blood pressure, ATRQβ-001 vaccination ameliorated biochemical parameter changes of renal dysfunction, mesangial expansion, and fibrosis through inhibiting oxidative stress, macrophage infiltration, and proinflammatory factor expression. Furthermore, ATRQβ-001 vaccination suppressed renal Ang II-AT1R activation and abrogated the downregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-Ang (1–7), similar to olmesartan treatment, while no obvious feedback activation of circulating or local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was only observed in vaccine group. In rat mesangial cells, the anti-ATR-001 antibody inhibited high glucose-induced transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF)-β1/Smad3 signal pathway. Additionally, no significant immune-mediated damage was detected in vaccinated animals. In conclusion, the ATRQβ-001 vaccine ameliorated streptozotocin-induced diabetic renal injury via modulating two RAS axes and inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad3 signal pathway, providing a novel, safe, and promising method to treat diabetic nephropathy. KEY MESSAGES: Overactivation of RAS plays a crucial role in the development of the DN. Our aim was to verify the effectiveness of ATRQβ-001 vaccine in STZ-induced DN. The ATRQβ-001 modulated two RAS axes and inhibited TGF-β1/Smad3 signal pathway. The vaccine therapy may provide a novel, safe, and promising method to treat DN. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00109-015-1343-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.