The novel roles of vitamin D were discovered and valued in this century. In addition to the maintenance of calcium and phosphorus balance, vitamin D regulates the function of the kidneys, heart, and immune system. Moreover, its anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antifibrotic roles have gained considerable attention. Vitamin D is also important for the maintenance of homeostasis by regulation of hormone secretion, cell proliferation, and differentiation. This paper will review these pleiotropic functions of vitamin D.

Some statins (simvastatin, lovastatin, and atorvastatin) are metabolized by cytochrome P450s 3A4 (CYP3A4). Inhibitors of CYP3A4 including some calcium channel blockers (CCBs) might increase statin blood concentration, owing to drug–drug interactions. Risk of adverse events such as acute kidney injury might occur following the coprescription of CYP3A4-metabolized statins and CCBs that inhibit CYP3A4. This was a population-based cohort study. The study analyzed data of patients treated between 1997 and 2011, retrieved from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. We enrolled 32,801 patients who received coprescription of statins and CCBs that inhibit CYP3A4 (amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine nicardipine, nifedipine, and verapamil). These patients were divided into 2 groups, according to whether they had received CYP3A4-metabolized statins (lovastatin, simvastatin, and atorvastatin) or non-CYP3A4-metabolized statins (fluvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin). These 2 groups were 1:1 matched by age, gender, and Carlson comorbidity index. All outcomes were assessed within 90 days following drug coprescription. In this study, 5857 patients received coprescription of CYP3A4-metabolized statins and CCBs that inhibit CYP3A4. There were no differences in comorbidity or use of antihypertensive drugs between patients who received CYP3A4-metabolized statins and those who received non-CYP3A4-metabolized statins. Patients who received CYP3A4-metabolized statins had significantly higher risk of acute kidney injury (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.35–3.35), hyperkalemia (adjusted OR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.36–6.35), acute myocardial infarction (adjusted OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.16–2.07), and acute ischemic stroke (adjusted OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.08–1.68) than those who received non-CYP3A4-metabolized statins. This nationwide cohort study demonstrated the increased risk of adverse events following the coprescription of CYP3A4-metabolized statins and CCBs that inhibit CYP3A4. Therefore, it is important to take into account the potential adverse events while coprescribing CYP3A4-metabolized statins and CCBs that inhibit CYP3A4.

Indoxyl sulfate (IS) is a chronic kidney disease (CKD)-specific renal osteodystrophy metabolite that affects the nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), a transcription factor promoting osteoclastogenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of NFATc1 by IS remain unknown. It is intriguing that the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays a key role in osteoclastogenesis, since IS is an endogenous AhR agonist. This study investigates the relationship between IS concentration and osteoclast differentiation in Raw 264.7 cells, and examines the effects of different IS concentrations on NFATc1 expression through AhR signaling. Our data suggest that both osteoclastogenesis and NFATc1 are affected by IS through AhR signaling in both dose- and time-dependent manners. Osteoclast differentiation increases with short-term, low-dose IS exposure and decreases with long-term, high-dose IS exposure. Different IS levels switch the role of AhR from that of a ligand-activated transcription factor to that of an E3 ubiquitin ligase. We found that the AhR nuclear translocator may play an important role in the regulation of these dual functions of AhR under IS treatment. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the IS/AhR/NFATc1 signaling axis plays a critical role in osteoclastogenesis, indicating a potential role of AhR in the pathology and abnormality of bone turnover in CKD patients.

Uremic toxins, such as indoxyl sulfate (IS) and kynurenine, accumulate in the blood in the event of kidney failure and contribute to further bone damage. To maintain the homeostasis of the skeletal system, bone remodeling is a persistent process of bone formation and bone resorption that depends on a dynamic balance of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates the toxic effects of uremic toxins. IS is an endogenous AhR ligand and is metabolized from tryptophan. In osteoclastogenesis, IS affects the expression of the osteoclast precursor nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) through AhR signaling. It is possible to increase osteoclast differentiation with short-term and low-dose IS exposure and to decrease differentiation with long-term and/or high-dose IS exposure. Coincidentally, during osteoblastogenesis, through the AhR signaling pathway, IS inhibits the phosphorylation of ERK, and p38 reduces the expression of the transcription factor 2 (Runx2), disturbing osteoblastogenesis. The AhR antagonist resveratrol has a protective effect on the IS/AhR pathway. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the multifaceted role of AhR in CKD, as knowledge of these transcription signals could provide a safe and effective method to prevent and treat CKD mineral bone disease.

Abstract.  Objective: Our previous studies have demonstrated that endogenous bone marrow cells (BMCs) contribute to renal tubular regeneration after acute tubular injury. The aim of this study was to examine which fraction of BMCs, haematopoietic lineage marrow cells (HLMCs) or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are effective. Materials and methods: Six‐week‐old female mice were lethally irradiated and were transplanted with female enhanced green fluorescent protein‐positive (GFP⁺), plastic non‐adherent marrow cells (as a source of HLMCs) plus cloned cultured male GFP⁻ MSCs. Four weeks later, they were assigned into two groups: control mice with vehicle treatment and mice treated with HgCl₂. Tritiated thymidine was given 1 h before animal killing which occurred at intervals over 2 weeks. Kidney sections were stained for a tubular epithelial marker, cell origin indicated by GFP immunohistochemistry or Y chromosome in situ hybridization; periodic acid‐Schiff staining was performed, and samples were subjected to autoradiography. One thousand consecutive renal tubular epithelial cells per mouse, in S phase, were scored as either female (indigenous) GFP⁺ (HLMC‐derived) or male (MSC‐derived). Results: Haematopoietic lineage marrow cells and MSCs stably engrafted into bone marrow and spleen, but only HLMC‐derived cells, not MSCs, were found in the renal tubules and were able to undergo DNA synthesis after acute renal injury. A few MSCs were detected in the renal interstitium, but their importance needs to be further explored. Conclusion: Haematopoietic lineage marrow cells, but not cloned cultured MSCs, can play a role not only in normal wear‐and‐tear turnover of renal tubular cells, but also in repair after tubular injury.

It is unknown whether human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) can improve the renal function of patients suffering from acute kidney injury. Moreover, before beginning clinical trials, it is necessary to investigate this renoprotective effect of hUC-MSCs in a xenogeneic model of acute kidney injury. However, no previous studies have examined the application of hUC-MSCs to immunodeficient mice suffering from acute kidney injury. The objectives of this study were to examine whether hUC-MSCs could improve renal function in nonobese diabetic-severe combined immune deficiency (NOD-SCID) mice suffering from acute kidney injury, and to investigate the mechanism(s) for hUC-MSCs to improve renal function in this xenogeneic model. Early (3 hr) and late (12 hr) administrations of hUC-MSCs (10⁶ cells) were performed via the external jugular vein into NOD-SCID mice suffering from either folic acid (FA) (250 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle. The results showed that early administration of hUC-MSCs improved the renal function of NOD-SCID mice suffering from FA-induced acute kidney injury, as evidenced by decreased serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels, as well as a reduced tubular injury score. The beneficial effects of hUC-MSCs were through reducing apoptosis and promoting proliferation of renal tubular cells. These benefits were independent of inflammatory cytokine effects and transdifferentiation. Furthermore, this study is the first one to show that the reduced apoptosis of renal tubular cells by hUC-MSCs in this xenogeneic model is mediated through the mitochondrial pathway, and through the increase of Akt phosphorylation.