Modified lipid metabolism and cytosolic phospholipase A2 activation in mesangial cells under pro-inflammatory conditions.

Diabetic kidney disease is a consequence of hyperglycemia and other complex events driven by early glomerular hemodynamic changes and a progressive expansion of the mesangium. The molecular mechanisms behind the pathophysiological alterations of the mesangium are yet to be elucidated. This study aimed at investigating whether lipid signaling might be the missing link. Stimulation of human mesangial cells with high glucose primed the inflammasome-driven interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) secretion, which in turn stimulated platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) release. Finally, PDGF-BB increased IL-1β secretion synergistically. Both IL-1β and PDGF-BB stimulation triggered the formation of phosphorylated sphingoid bases, as shown by lipidomics, and activated cytosolic phospholipase cPLA2, sphingosine kinase 1, cyclooxygenase 2, and autotaxin. This led to the release of arachidonic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine, activating the secretion of vasodilatory prostaglandins and proliferative lysophosphatidic acids. Blocking cPLA2 release of arachidonic acid reduced mesangial cells proliferation and prostaglandin secretion. Validation was performed in silico using the Nephroseq database and a glomerular transcriptomic database. In conclusion, hyperglycemia primes glomerular inflammatory and proliferative stimuli triggering lipid metabolism modifications in human mesangial cells. The upregulation of cPLA2 was critical in this setting. Its inhibition reduced mesangial secretion of prostaglandins and proliferation, making it a potential therapeutical target.