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A humanized anti-Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) monoclonal antibody (mAb) was previously produced using phage antibody library technology, and it was found that the mAb could effectively ameliorate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage in macrophages. The present study investigated the protective effects exerted by the humanized anti-TLR4 mAb against LPS-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), as well as the underlying mechanisms. Female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=8 per group): i) Control; ii) LPS; iii) LPS + humanized anti-TLR4 mAb (1 µg/g); and iv) LPS + humanized anti-TLR4 mAb (10 µg/g). Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, IL-6, TNFα and IL-1β levels were then examined, followed by renal pathology assessment, immunohistochemical staining, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting to assess apoptosis/survival/inflammation-related molecules and kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1. The humanized anti-TLR4 mAb successfully ameliorated LPS-induced AKI and renal pathological damage. The humanized anti-TLR4 mAb also dose-dependently suppressed LPS-induced elevations in serum IL-6, TNFα and IL-1β, and decreased the renal expression levels of myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), IKKα/β, IκB, p65 and KIM-1. Compared with the LPS group, renal Bax and KIM-1 expression levels were significantly downregulated, and Bcl-2 expression was notably upregulated by the humanized anti-TLR4 mAb. Moreover, the humanized anti-TLR4 mAb also significantly decreased the protein expression levels of MyD88, phosphorylated (p)-IKKα/β, p-IκB and p-p65 in the renal tissues compared with the LPS group. Therefore, the present study indicated that the anti-inflammatory effects of the humanized anti-TLR4 mAb against LPS-related AKI in mice were mediated via inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the serum of patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) on endothelial cells and to examine the protective effect and the possible mechanism of Klotho. A total of three types of mixed serum from 15 patients with SHPT scheduled for parathyroidectomy, 10 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients at stage 5 without SHPT and 15 healthy volunteers were collected. Initially, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incubated in vitro with the three types of serum and levels of proliferation were compared by assessing viable cell numbers with cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Subsequently, HUVECs were divided into three groups: Control group (healthy serum medium), SHPT group (SHPT serum) and Klotho treatment group (SHPT serum and Klotho). The proliferative and apoptotic levels of endothelial cells were evaluated by CCK-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. The levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and phosphorylated forms of ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) were detected using western blotting (with or without ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059). The synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) was measured using the nitrate reduction method. The proliferation of HUVECs was inhibited by the serum from SHPT patients and CKD-5 patients without SHPT and the inhibitory effects of the SHPT serum were the most marked (P