A piperidinyl indole derivative, potential complement factor B inhibitor, plays a renoprotective role in diabetic nephropathy

AIMS: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and the main cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) worldwide. The pathogenesis of DN is complex, and cumulating evidence demonstrated that over-activation of the complement system is involved. Complement factor B (CFB), a serine protease, drives the central amplification loop of the alternative pathway (AP) of the complement, making it a potential therapeutic target. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of a piperidinyl indole derivative in db/db mice. METHODS: A highly potent CFB-targeting compound, (+)-4-((2S,4R)-1-((5-methoxy-7-methyl-1H-indol-4-yl) methyl)-4-methylpiperidin-2-yl) benzoic acid (hereafter referred as the "compound"), was orally administered to the db/db mice model. Bioinformatics and network pharmacology analyses were applied in our research. RESULTS: Oral administration of the compound attenuated established DN in db/db mice, as evidenced by reduced urine albumin-to-creatine ratio (uACR), tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis, and thickening of glomerular basement membrane. Besides binding to the active site of Bb, the enzyme-cleaved activated fragment of CFB, and inhibiting the activity of complement component 3 (C3) convertase of the AP, the compound could regulate the expression of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (CASP3, a key executor of renal tubular apoptosis) and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4, a pro-fibrotic driver in tubulointerstitium) by bioinformatics and network pharmacology analysis. These complementary mechanisms cooperated to inhibit the over-activation of complements and the apoptosis/fibrosis cascade and together alleviated DN progression. CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed the potential therapeutic strategy of using the piperidinyl indole derivative for the treatment of DN and provided a basis for its clinical development.