DR3 Signaling Protects against Cisplatin Nephrotoxicity Mediated by Tumor Necrosis Factor

The expression of death receptor 3 (DR3), a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily, is up-regulated in human tubular epithelial cells (TECs) during renal injury, but its function in this setting remains unknown. We used cisplatin to induce renal injury in wild-type (DR3^+/+) or congenitally deficient DR3^−/− mice to examine the in vivo role of DR3. Cisplatin induced the expression of DR3, its ligand, TNF-like ligand 1A (TL1A), and TNF in TECs, as observed in human renal injury. Cisplatin increased apoptotic death of DR3^−/− TECs by twofold compared with DR3^+/+ TECs, whereas it reduced the number of tubules expressing phospho-NF-κBp65^Ser276 by 50% at 72 hours. Similar degrees of induction of DR3, TL1A, and TNF, and changes in apoptosis and phospho-NF-κBp65^Ser276, were obtained in mouse kidney organ cultures treated with cisplatin for 3 hours, suggesting a direct effect on TECs. TNF was implicated in mediating cisplatin-induced tubular damage given that the in vivo co-administration of GM6001, an inhibitor of TNF maturation and release, significantly reduced TNF production and tubular damage. Moreover, TNF exacerbated, whereas TL1A reduced, cisplatin-induced apoptosis in the DR3^+/+ mouse proximal tubule cell line, TKPTS. Our data demonstrate that cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity is mitigated by DR3 signaling, suggesting that this occurs by antagonizing pro-apoptotic signals induced by TNF. Therefore, activating DR3 may be beneficial in reducing acute kidney injury.