Effects of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 on renal tubular epithelial cells.

OBJECTIVE: To research the role of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) on the oxidative stress (OS) and apoptosis induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) of normal rat kidney-52E (NRK-52E) cells, through the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, we transfected the NRK-52E cells with small interfering RNA (siRNA) of HIPK2 by LipofectamineTM 2000. Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot (WB) were used to test the efficiency of transfection after 48 h. After cells were treated with H/R, we tested cell apoptosis by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, PCR, and Western blot. RESULTS: After NRK-52E cells were transfect-ed with siRNA-HIPK2, the protein expression of HIPK2 was remarkably decreased. Cell apopto-sis and OS in the H/R group were significantly increased. However, in the HIPK2-siRNA + H/R group, apoptosis and OS were markedly decreased compared with the H/R group. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of HIPK2 expression can promote H/R-induced proliferation of NRK-52E cells through the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, relieve the OS response, and reduce apoptosis.