Introduction: Cytokines are produced by not only immune cells, but also endithelial cells, fibroblast, and various stromal cells. They are important in health and may promote disease progression under dysregulated immune responses, such as chronic inflammation. Since acute kidney injury (AKI) is a widespread problem of epidemic status, and closely relating to development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD), It is worth investigating whether cytokines secreted from kidney cells are affected by chemicals or micronutrients that provide different microenviroments.
Methods: Cultured kidney cells, such as human embryonic kidney cells 293 cell line (HEK293), and mouse kidney mesangial cell line (MES-13) were used for this in vitro study. Cells were pre-treated with or without various factors, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) for 24 hr, and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 12 or 24 hrs. The concentrations of cytokines, such as IL-8 were measured.
Results: Cytokine secretion of IL-8 was decreased in LPS-activated HEK293 cells pre-treated with GABA. The profile of cytokines secreted by these kidney cells will also be discussed.
Conclusions: These data suggested that dietary factors, such as GABA might alleviate the inflammatory cytokines that play an important role in the early stage of AKI.