Insulin‐like growth factor 1 knockdown attenuates high glucose‐induced podocyte injury by promoting the JAK2/STAT signalling‐mediated autophagy

PURPOSE: Podocyte injury plays a crucial role in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). A high serum level of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has been observed in patients with DN. This paper is to study the role and mechanism of IGF-1 in high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte injury. METHODS: Mouse podocytes MPC-5 were treated with HG to establish a DN model in vitro. db/db diabetic mice and db/m nondiabetic mice were used to evaluate the IGF-1 role in vivo. Western blotting was used for measuring protein levels of IGF-1 receptor, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signalling pathway-related markers, podocyte markers podocin and nephrin, apoptosis- and autophagy-related markers in MPC-5 cells. Immunofluorescence staining was implemented for measuring the expression of nephrin and the autophagy marker LC3. Flow cytometry was used for detecting podocyte apoptosis. RESULTS: IGF-1 expression was increased in HG-stimulated MPC-5 cells and the kidney of db/db diabetic mice compared with corresponding controls. Knocking down IGF-1 downregulated IGF-1R and inhibited JAK2/STAT signalling pathway in HG-treated MPC-5 cells and db/db diabetic mice. IGF-1 silencing attenuated HG-induced podocyte injury, apoptosis and reduction in autophagy. Activating the JAK2/STAT signalling pathway or inhibiting autophagy reversed the effects of IGF-1 silencing on HG-treated MPC-5 cells. CONCLUSION: Knocking down IGF-1 alleviates HG-induced podocyte injury and apoptosis by inactivating the JAK2/STAT signalling pathway and enhancing autophagy.