An investigation carried out by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and performed in mice has shown how to improve the metabolism of tubular cells and thus their energy capacity protects against cystic fibrosis, that is, it protects against the formation of fibrous tissue.
The results have been published in the journal Journal of Clinical Investigation and have shown how the energy capacity of these cells is what protects against the development of fibrosis, a problem that is associated with acute renal failure and diabetic and hypertensive nephropathies.
To reach this conclusion, they induced an overexpression of the mitochondrial enzyme Cpt1a, a protein that allows fatty acids to enter the mitochondria. Once inside the mitochondria (the organelle responsible for providing energy to the cell), these fatty acids are converted into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), thus having a high bioenergetic capacity and also allowing epithelial cells to protect themselves from inflammatory processes.
According to researchers, low levels of the enzyme protein Cpt1a lead to an accumulation of metabolites. They also point out that while there are currently no activators of this enzyme, there are medications that can activate the metabolism of kidney cells. With these research findings, experts aim to demonstrate that fibrosis is partly a metabolic problem and that, in the future, altering metabolism could potentially prevent its development.
If you wish to see the article published by the CSIC in the scientific journal, you can do so at the following link:
https://www.jci.org/articles/view/140695
