The involvement of autotaxin in renal interstitial fibrosis through regulation of fibroblast functions and induction of vascular leakage

The accumulation of fibroblasts is a critical step in the development of fibrosis, and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) promotes fibrosis by regulating multiple fibroblast functions. Autotaxin (ATX) is a key LPA-producing enzyme, and we hypothesized that ATX contributes to the development of renal interstitial fibrosis through LPA-mediated effects on fibroblast functions. In a mouse model of renal interstitial fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), the levels of renal ATX protein and activity increased with the progression of fibrosis in ligated kidneys, despite concurrent reductions in renal ATX mRNA. UUO enhanced vascular permeability in the renal interstitium, and ATX protein localized to areas of vascular leak, suggesting that vascular leak allowed ATX to enter the renal interstitium. In vitro studies showed that ATX induces the migration and proliferation of renal fibroblasts and enhances the vascular permeability of endothelial monolayers. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of ATX partially attenuated renal interstitial fibrosis. These results suggest that during the development of renal fibrosis, ATX accumulates in the renal interstitium and drives fibroblast accumulation and promotes renal interstitial vascular leak, thereby partially contributing to the pathogenesis of renal interstitial fibrosis. Taken together, ATX inhibition may have the potential to be a novel therapeutic strategy to combat renal interstitial fibrosis.