Renal-Protective Roles of Lipoic Acid in Kidney Disease

Abstract

The kidney is a crucial organ that eliminates metabolic waste and reabsorbs nutritious elements. It also participates in the regulation of blood pressure, maintenance of electrolyte balance and blood pH homeostasis, as well as erythropoiesis and vitamin D maturation. Due to such a heavy workload, the kidney is an energy-demanding organ and is constantly exposed to endogenous and exogenous insults, leading to the development of either acute kidney injury (AKI) or chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nevertheless, there are no therapeutic managements to treat AKI or CKD effectively. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches for fighting kidney injury are urgently needed. This review article discusses the role of α-lipoic acid (ALA) in preventing and treating kidney diseases. We focus on various animal models of kidney injury by which the underlying renoprotective mechanisms of ALA have been unraveled. The animal models covered include diabetic nephropathy, sepsis-induced kidney injury, renal ischemic injury, unilateral ureteral obstruction, and kidney injuries induced by folic acid and metals such as cisplatin, cadmium, and iron. We highlight the common mechanisms of ALA’s renal protective actions that include decreasing oxidative damage, increasing antioxidant capacities, counteracting inflammation, mitigating renal fibrosis, and attenuating nephron cell death. It is by these mechanisms that ALA achieves its biological function of alleviating kidney injury and improving kidney function. Nevertheless, we also point out that more comprehensive, preclinical, and clinical studies will be needed to make ALA a better therapeutic agent for targeting kidney disorders.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid Reduces Cell Growth, Inhibits Autophagy, and Counteracts Prostate Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion: Evidence from In Vitro Studies

“…ALA is a disulfide compound synthesized from octanoic acid in the mitochondria; it may also be found in the human diet, such as in meat, potatoes, and fresh egg yolk. ALA is well known for its powerful antioxidative effects and is commonly used in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases associated with high levels of oxidative stress, such as diabetic polyneuropathy, Alzheimer's disease, and renal diseases [35][36][37]. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that ALA can also suppress the growth, migration, and invasion of various cancer cell lines, although the underlying mechanisms of action of ALA are complex and vary according to the type of cancer cell [10][11][12][13][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]38,39].…”

Diabetic Nephropathy: Significance of Determining Oxidative Stress and Opportunities for Antioxidant Therapies

“…α-Lipoic acid (α-LA) (1,2-dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid or thioctic acid) is a natural dithiol that is enzymatically synthesized in plants, animals and humans and found in meat, the heart, kidneys and liver, fruits and vegetables [150]. α-LA is a powerful antioxidant due to its redox properties and its ability to directly capture ROS [151]. The common mechanisms of the protective action of α-LA for the kidneys, which include reducing oxidative damage, increasing antioxidant capacity, countering inflammation, softening renal fibrosis and weakening nephron cell death, have recently been identified [152].…”

LRG1 Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Multiple Kidney Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

“…The global prevalence of kidney diseases exceeds 10% [1]. As a vital organ, the kidney functions as the maintenance of electrolyte balance, the stability of blood pH, removal of metabolic waste, and reabsorption of nutrients and minerals for the body [2]. Additionally, the kidney also regulates blood pressure, vitamin D maturation, and erythropoiesis.…”