IGF-1 protects tubular epithelial cells during injury via activation of ERK/MAPK signaling pathway

Injury of renal tubular epithelial cells can induce acute renal failure and obstructive nephropathy. Previous studies have shown that administration of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) ameliorates the renal injury in a mouse unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model, whereas the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we addressed this question. We found that the administration of IGF-1 significantly reduced the severity of the renal fibrosis in UUO. By analyzing purified renal epithelial cells, we found that IGF-1 significantly reduced the apoptotic cell death of renal epithelial cells, seemingly through upregulation of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, at protein but not mRNA level. Bioinformatics analyses and luciferase-reporter assay showed that miR-429 targeted the 3′-UTR of Bcl-2 mRNA to inhibit its protein translation in renal epithelial cells. Moreover, IGF-1 suppressed miR-429 to increase Bcl-2 in renal epithelial cells to improve survival after UUO. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK/MAPK signaling pathway in renal epithelial cells abolished the suppressive effects of IGF-1 on miR-429 activation, and then the enhanced effects on Bcl-2 in UUO. Thus, our data suggest that IGF-1 may protect renal tubular epithelial cells via activation of ERK/MAPK signaling pathway during renal injury.