The potential roles of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 in the development of diabetic nephropathy and actin polymerization

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus. NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is an antioxidant enzyme that has been involved in the progression of several kidney injuries. However, the roles of NQO1 in DN are still unclear. We investigated the effects of NQO1 deficiency in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN mice. NQO1 was upregulated in the glomerulus and podocytes under hyperglycemic conditions. NQO1 knockout (NKO) mice showed more severe changes in blood glucose and body weight than WT mice after STZ treatment. Furthermore, STZ-mediated pathological parameters including glomerular injury, blood urea nitrogen levels, and foot process width were more severe in NKO mice than WT mice. Importantly, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) was higher in healthy, non-treated NKO mice than WT mice. ACR response to STZ or LPS was dramatically increased in the urine of NKO mice compared to vehicle controls, while it maintained a normal range following treatment of WT mice. More importantly, we found that NQO1 can stimulate actin polymerization in an in vitro biochemical assay without directly the accumulation on F-actin. In summary, NQO1 has an important role against the development of DN pathogenesis and is a novel contributor in actin reorganization via stimulating actin polymerization.