Androgen receptor enhances kidney stone-CaOx crystal formation via modulation of oxalate biosynthesis & oxidative stress

Mol Endocrinol. 2014 Aug;28(8):1291-303. doi: 10.1210/me.2014-1047. Epub 2014 Jun 23.

Abstract

Males develop kidney stones far more frequently than females with a ratio of 2-3:1, suggesting that androgen receptor (AR) signaling might play a key role in the development of nephrolithiasis. Using the cre-loxP system to selectively knock out AR in glyoxylate-induced calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystal mouse models, we found that the mice lacking hepatic AR had less oxalate biosynthesis, which might lead to lower CaOx crystal formation, and that the mice lacking kidney proximal or distal epithelial AR also had lower CaOx crystal formation. We found that AR could directly up-regulate hepatic glycolate oxidase and kidney epithelial NADPH oxidase subunit p22-PHOX at the transcriptional level. This up-regulation might then increase oxalate biosynthesis and oxidative stress that resulted in induction of kidney tubular injury. Targeting AR with the AR degradation enhancer ASC-J9 led to suppression of CaOx crystal formation via modulation of oxalate biosynthesis and oxidative stress in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Taken together, these results established the roles of AR in CaOx crystal formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium Oxalate / metabolism*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Curcumin / analogs & derivatives
  • Curcumin / pharmacology
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Kidney Calculi / epidemiology
  • Kidney Calculi / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • Proteolysis / drug effects
  • Receptors, Androgen / genetics
  • Receptors, Androgen / metabolism*
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Sex Distribution

Substances

  • 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,4,6-heptatrien-3-one
  • Receptors, Androgen
  • Calcium Oxalate
  • Curcumin