New evidence of the impact of mitochondria on kidney health and disease

Several publications from 2023 have substantiated the importance of altered NAD synthesis in kidney injury and disease progression. Now, NAD deficiency has been linked to the release of mitochondrial RNA and activation of pathways that induce inflammation. Another enzyme that governs mitochondrial function, PCK1, has also now been linked to kidney disease. Analyses of kidney biopsy samples from humans and mice have shown that alterations in NAD synthesis in the context of kidney injury leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial RNA release, which triggers the RIG-I pathway and inflammation2Transcriptome analyses suggest that differences in the susceptibility of mouse strains to kidney injury may in part relate to the severity of mitochondrial injury and extent of NAD synthesis dysregulation3Nicotinamide riboside supplementation might modify systemic mitochondrial metabolism in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)6PCK1, a gluconeogenic enzyme that is downregulated during acute kidney injury and CKD, is a key novel regulator of metabolism, acid-base equilibrium and mitochondrial function in the kidney4,5