Photo Credit: Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen

The following is a summary of “Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Identifies Response of Renal Lymphatic Endothelial Cells to Acute Kidney Injury,” published in the February  2024 issue of Nephrology by Creed et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating the response of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in the kidney to acute kidney injury (AKI), aiming to shed light on their potential role in shaping future renal health.

They analyzed murine renal LEC subpopulations using single-cell RNA sequencing and examined their alterations 72 hours after cisplatin-induced AKI. Data underwent processing with the Seurat package. Their discoveries were verified through qPCR in LECs obtained from cisplatin-induced and ischemia-reperfusion injury models and immunofluorescence and validation in human LECs cultured in vitro.

The results showed previously uncharacterized roles of renal LECs in lymphatic vascular functions. Distinctive gene alterations were presented and observed in both control and cisplatin-injured conditions. Following AKI, renal LECs modify genes associated with LEC apoptosis, vasculogenic processes, immunoregulatory signaling, and metabolism. Variances between injury models were detected, with renal LECs exhibiting distinct changes in gene expression between cisplatin and ischemia-reperfusion injury, indicating specificity in the renal LEC response based on their location in the lymphatic vasculature and the type of renal injury.

Investigators concluded distinct structural alterations in lymphatic vessels and injury-specific gene expression changes in LECs, suggesting their response to AKI as a potential key to future kidney disease progression. 

Source: journals.lww.com/jasn/abstract/9900/single_cell_rna_sequencing_identifies_response_of.256.aspx