Impact of high salt diets on CHOP-mediated apoptosis and renal fibrosis in a rat model

Background Prolonged and excessive salt intake accelerates oxidative stress in kidney tissues, which brings about ER stress. The PERK/ATF4/CHOP/BCL-2 signaling pathway has an essential role in ER stress-induced apoptosis. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of high salt diets on the development of renal fibrosis through CHOP-mediated apoptosis. Methods and results Twenty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 5 each). Groups 1–5 were treated with 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.2%, 1.5% of NaCl dissolved in distilled water, respectively, for 8 weeks. To detect the degree of renal tubular damage, urinary KIM-1 was measured. The slides of renal tissues were stained via Masson’s Trichrome staining methods for fibrosis detection. The relative gene expression of ATF4, CHOP, and BCl-2 in renal tissues were analyzed using the qRT-PCR method. The results revealed no significant difference between the urea, creatinine, and urine flow rate of the rats receiving different concentrations of NaCl (groups 2–5) and those of the control group (group 1). The rats treated with 1.5% NaCl (group 5) showed significant elevations in urinary KIM-1 and the mRNA level of CHOP compared to the control group. Mild renal fibrosis was also observed in group 5. Conclusions Excessive salt intake leads to fibrosis as it induces the PERK/ATF4/CHOP/BCL-2 signaling pathway in renal tissues. KIM-1 is detectable in urine before the impairment of renal function which can be used as a diagnostic marker to prevent the development of progressive renal failure.