Functional regulation of von Willebrand factor ameliorates acute ischemia-reperfusion kidney injury in mice

Acute kidney injury (AKI), an abrupt loss of renal function, is often seen in clinical settings and may become fatal. In addition to its hemostatic functions, von Willebrand factor (VWF) is known to play a role in cross-talk between inflammation and thrombosis. We hypothesized that VWF may be involved in the pathophysiology of AKI, major causes of which include insufficient renal circulation or inflammatory cell infiltration in the kidney. To test this hypothesis, we studied the role of VWF in AKI using a mouse model of acute ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) kidney injury. We analyzed renal function and blood flow in VWF-gene deleted (knock-out; KO) mice. The functional regulation of VWF by ADAMTS13 or a function-blocking anti-VWF antibody was also evaluated in this pathological condition. Greater renal blood flow and lower serum creatinine were observed after reperfusion in VWF-KO mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Histological analysis also revealed a significantly lower degree of tubular damage and neutrophil infiltration in kidney tissues of VWF-KO mice. Both human recombinant ADAMTS13 and a function-blocking anti-VWF antibody significantly improved renal blood flow, renal function and histological findings in WT mice. Our results indicate that VWF plays a role in the pathogenesis of AKI. Proper functional regulation of VWF may improve the microcirculation and vessel function in the kidney, suggesting a novel therapeutic option against AKI.