Phenyl sulfate, indoxyl sulfate and p-cresyl sulfate decrease glutathione level to render cells vulnerable to oxidative stress in renal tubular cells

PLoS One. 2018 Feb 23;13(2):e0193342. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193342. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

In chronic kidney disease patients, oxidative stress is generally associated with disease progression and pathogenesis of its comorbidities. Phenyl sulfate is a protein-bound uremic solute, which accumulates in chronic kidney disease patients, but little is known about its nature. Although many reports revealed that protein-bound uremic solutes induce reactive oxygen species production, the effects of these solutes on anti-oxidant level have not been well studied. Therefore, we examined the effects of protein-bound uremic solutes on glutathione levels. As a result, indoxyl sulfate, phenyl sulfate, and p-cresyl sulfate decreased glutathione levels in porcine renal tubular cells. Next we examined whether phenyl sulfate-treated cells becomes vulnerable to oxidative stress. In phenyl sulfate-treated cells, hydrogen peroxide induced higher rates of cell death than in control cells. Buthionine sulfoximine, which is known to decrease glutathione level, well mimicked the effect of phenyl sulfate. Finally, we evaluated a mixture of indoxyl sulfate, phenyl sulfate, and p-cresyl sulfate at concentrations comparable to the serum concentrations of hemodialysis patients, and we confirmed its decreasing effect on glutathione level. In conclusion, indoxyl sulfate, phenyl sulfate, and p-cresyl sulfate decrease glutathione levels, rendering the cells vulnerable to oxidative stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimetabolites / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / physiology
  • Buthionine Sulfoximine / pharmacology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / physiology
  • Cresols / metabolism*
  • Cresols / toxicity
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Glutathione / metabolism*
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / metabolism
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / toxicity
  • Indican / metabolism*
  • Indican / toxicity
  • Kidney Tubules / drug effects
  • Kidney Tubules / metabolism*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress / physiology*
  • Sulfuric Acid Esters / metabolism*
  • Sulfuric Acid Esters / toxicity
  • Sus scrofa

Substances

  • Antimetabolites
  • Cresols
  • Sulfuric Acid Esters
  • Buthionine Sulfoximine
  • 4-cresol sulfate
  • phenylsulfate
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Glutathione
  • Indican

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Kureha Corporation. Kureha Corporation had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.