Leonurine alleviates vancomycin nephrotoxicity via activating PPARγ and inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB/TNF-α pathway

Vancomycin (VCM) is the first-line antibiotic for severe infections, but nephrotoxicity limits its use. Leonurine (Leo) has shown protective effects against kidney damage. However, the effect and mechanism of Leo on VCM nephrotoxicity remain unclear. In this study, mice and HK-2 cells exposed to VCM were treated with Leo. Biochemical and pathological analysis and fluorescence probe methods were performed to examine the role of Leo in VCM nephrotoxicity. Immunohistochemistry, q-PCR, western blot, FACS, and Autodock software were used to verify the mechanism. The present results indicate that Leo significantly alleviates VCM-induced renal injury, morphological damage, and oxidative stress. Increased intracellular and mitochondrial ROS in HK-2 cells and decreased mitochondrial numbers in mouse renal tubular epithelial cells were reversed in Leo-administrated groups. In addition, molecular docking analysis using Autodock software revealed that Leo binds to the PPARγ protein with high affinity. Mechanistic exploration indicated that Leo inhibited VCM nephrotoxicity via activating PPARγ and inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB/TNF-α inflammation pathway. Taken together, our results indicate that the PPARγ inhibition and inflammation reactions were implicated in the VCM nephrotoxicity and provide a promising therapeutic strategy for renal injury.