Role of TFEB in autophagic modulation of ischemia reperfusion injury in mice kidney and protection by urolithin A

Kidney ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is an acute kidney injury associated with high number of mortality. We have examined the molecular mechanism and found that oxidative stress and hypoxia leads to induction of autophagy. In IRI induced autophagy, TFEB translocated to nucleus in response to IRI and induced a number of target genes of Coordinated Lysosomal Expression and Regulation (CLEAR) network. Real-time PCR analyses result showed IRI dependent increase in mRNA level to lysosomal hydrolases (Ctsa, Psap), lysosomal membranes (Lamp1), lysosomal acidification (Atp6ap1) non-lysosomal proteins involved in lysosomal biogenesis (M6pr, Nagpa) and autophagy (Becn1, VPS11). Overall, both lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy pathways were induced. Two key players of TFEB dependent proteins in autophagy, LAMP1 and BECN1 were verified by protein analyses. Pretreatment with urolithin A promoted autophagy and attenuated renal injury in kidney IRI and thus inverse relationship existed between TFEB–CLEAR pathway and kidney injury. Urolithin A also attenuated IRI induced pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL1β, MIP1α and MIP2 mRNA and associated kidney injury. Overall, our results explored the understanding of autophagy and CLEAR network to kidney IRI and those insights may help to develop new therapeutic strategies to protect against IRI.