Juniperus communis extract ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute kidney injury through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase pathway.

Septic shock can aggravate organ dysfunction and even lead to death. Juniperus communis (JCo) extract has been experimentally demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We investigated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanism of JCo extract in vivo and in vitro. In a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute kidney injury rat model, JCo extract improved animal survival, reduced kidney injury scores, suppressed kidney injury molecule-1, and preserved E-cadherin expression from LPS damage, as demonstrated by the immunohistochemistry examinations of the rat kidneys. In LPS-stimulated NRK-52E cells, JCo extract inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and increased adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression, prompting the activation of the antioxidant nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway against oxidative stress. JCo extract ameliorated LPS-induced acute kidney injury by suppressing NF-κB signaling and stimulating the release of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β through the AMPK pathway.