Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has few objective symptoms, and it is difficult to make an early diagnosis by using existing methods. Therefore, new biomarkers enabling diagnosis of renal dysfunction at an early stage need to be developed. Here, we searched for new biomarkers of CKD by focusing on kidney-derived proteins that could sensitively reflect that organ’s disease state. Methods To identify candidate marker proteins, we performed a proteomics analysis on renal influx and efflux blood collected from the same individual. Results Proteomics analysis revealed 662 proteins in influx blood and 809 in efflux. From these identified proteins, we selected complement C1q as a candidate; the plasma C1q level was significantly elevated in the renal efflux of donors. Moreover, the plasma concentration of C1q in a mouse model of diabetic nephropathy was significantly increased, in association with increases in blood glucose concentration and urinary protein content. Importantly, we demonstrated that the tendency of C1q to increase in the plasma of CKD patients was correlated with a decrease in their estimated glomerular filtration rate. Conclusion Overall, our results indicate that our approach of focusing on kidney-derived proteins is useful for identifying new CKD biomarkers and that C1q has potential as a biomarker of renal function.

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Nanoparticles are being used in an increasing number of applications in a wide range of fields; however, these particles can migrate to the brain, raising concerns over their potential as risk factors of neurodevelopment disorders. Here, we examined the effects of silver nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm (nAg10) on neural differentiation in human-derived neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. SH-SY5Y cells treated with retinoic acid undergo neuronal differentiation characterized by increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); however, co-treatment of these cells with retinoic acid (RA) and nAg10 significantly mitigated this RA-induced BDNF expression. RA-induced neurite outgrowth and extracellular secretion of dopamine were significantly suppressed by nAg10 in a concentration-dependent manner. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was enhanced in cells co-treated with RA and nAg10, and the expression level of BDNF was restored by co-treatment with nAg10 and an ROS inhibitor (N-acetylcysteine). nAg10-induced mitochondrial ROS production and decreased mitochondrial fusion-related gene expression. In summary, nAg10 suppressed retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation in SH-SY5Y cells via the oxidative stress pathway, induced mitochondrial ROS production, and decreased mitochondrial fusion-related gene expression.

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