Cadmium induces the expression of Interleukin-6 through Heme Oxygenase-1 in HK-2 cells and Sprague-Dawley rats

Cadmium is toxic to the kidney through mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammation. We studied reciprocal crosstalk among the oxidative stress, inflammation, and the nuclear Nrf2 pathway in cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity on HK-2 human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells. Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) caused cell viability loss, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation, glutathione reduction, and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression, accompanied by Nrf2 activation and Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Pharmacological treatments demonstrated cytotprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of Nrf2 activation. Intriguingly, inhibition of HO-1 activity mitigated cell viability loss and IL-6 expression in CdCl2-treated cells. Parallel attenuation by HO-1 inhibitor was demonstrated in cadmium-induced ROS generation and glutathione reduction. CdCl2-treated cells also increased levels of ferrous iron, cGMP, Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases phosphorylation, as well as NF-κB DNA-binding activity. These increments were mitigated by antioxidant N-Acetyl Cysteine, HO-1 inhibitor SnPP, and PKG inhibitor KT5823, and were mimicked by the Carbon Monoxide-releasing compound. In the kidney cortex of CdCl2-exposed Sprague-Dawley rats, we found similar renal injury, histological changes, ROS generation, IL-6 expression, and accompanied pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory changes. These observations indicated that cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity was associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, and HO-1 likely acts as a linking molecule to induce nephrotoxicity-associated IL-6 expression upon cadmium exposure.