Figure 1.

Endotoxic-related AKI is followed by renal inflammation and down-regulation of HNF-1β target genes and Ppargc1a. C57Bl6 mice (males 10–12 weeks old) were injected with either saline or LPS intraperitoneally (LPS 10 μg/g) and euthanized at 6, 24, 36, and 48 hours. (A) BUN was increased 6–24 hours after the LPS injection. Periodic acid–Schiff staining of a kidney section (×20) revealed few epithelial lesions in LPS-injected mice (right panel; arrow, some tubular cells within the lumen; arrows: tubular cells slightly swallowed) compared with control mice (left panel). Markers of inflammation and renal injury were dramatically increased after LPS injection. (B) mRNA expression of Ppargc1a and its target genes Atp5g1 and Idh3a was dramatically decreased after LPS injection. (C) Western blotting and immunostaining revealed normal HNF-1β protein expression and localization after LPS injection. (D) Downregulation of the HNF-1β transcriptional network after LPS injection. *P<0.05; **P<0.01; ***P<0.001.