CaMKII as a key regulator of contrast-induced nephropathy through mPTP opening in HK-2 cells

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), refers to acute kidney injury observed after administration of contrast media during angiographic or other medical procedures such as urography, and accounting for 12% of all causes of acute renal failure, but no specific prevention or treatment strategy exists for its obscure pathophysiology. The aim of our study was to explore the influence of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in CIN by using HK-2 cells. Knockdown of CypD was achieved by lentivirus, and CaMKII overexpression by transfection with the plasmid. In this study, we have demonstrated that CypD-mediated mPTP opening triggered mitochondrial dysfunction and tubule cells apoptosis in CIN. We also found that iohexol treatment was associated with mitochondrial ROS overloading, ATP depletion and LDH release. Inhibition of CypD with the pharmacologic inhibitor or knockdown of CypD abrogated mPTP opening, oxidative stress, mitochondria damage, and cell apoptosis induced by iohexol. In addition, we found that inhibition of the CaMKII activity alleviated iohexol-induced CypD expression, whereas also decreased mPTP opening, oxidative stress, mitochondria damage, and cell apoptosis, similarly to the inhibition of CypD did. Moreover, CaMKII overexpression enhanced iohexol-induced mPTP opening, mitochondrial damage and renal tubular epithelial cells apoptosis. These findings first identified the novel role of CaMKII in iohexol-induced tubular cells apoptosis and delineated the CaMKII-CypD/mPTP pathway during contrast-induced tubular cell damage. Hence, these results could provide a new strategy for CIN protection.