title: Low-dose radiation activates Akt and Nrf2 in the kidney of diabetic mice: a potential mechanism to prevent diabetic nephropathy.
abstract: Repetitive exposure of diabetic mice to low-dose radiation (LDR) at 25 mGy could significantly attenuate diabetes-induced renal inflammation, oxidative damage, remodeling, and dysfunction, for which, however, the underlying mechanism remained unknown. The present study explored the effects of LDR on the expression and function of Akt and Nrf2 in the kidney of diabetic mice. C57BL/6J mice were used to induce type 1 diabetes with multiple low-dose streptozotocin. Diabetic and age-matched control mice were irradiated with whole body X-rays at either single 25 mGy and 75 mGy or accumulated 75 mGy (25 mGy daily for 3 days) and then sacrificed at 1-12 h for examining renal Akt phosphorylation and Nrf2 expression and function. We found that 75 mGy of X-rays can stimulate Akt signaling pathway and upregulate Nrf2 expression and function in diabetic kidneys; single exposure of 25 mGy did not, but three exposures to 25 mGy of X-rays could offer a similar effect as single exposure to 75 mGy on the stimulation of Akt phosphorylation and the upregulation of Nrf2 expression and transcription function. These results suggest that single 75 mGy or multiple 25 mGy of X-rays can stimulate Akt phosphorylation and upregulate Nrf2 expression and function, which may explain the prevention of LDR against the diabetic nephropathy mentioned above.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Minglong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Qingyue
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Guirong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Cai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Shunzi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jisheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guanjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaokun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000528:radiation effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000528:radiation effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000528:radiation effects; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000378:metabolism; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495636:Nfe2l2 protein, mouse; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone); C491732:Nqo1 protein, mouse; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt