Eplerenone inhibits UUO-induced lymphangiogenesis and cardiac fibrosis by attenuating inflammatory injury

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is the leading cause of death associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, the underlying mechanisms of CRS are still poorly understood. Here, we studied a CKD model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and observed pathological cardiac fibrosis and lymphangiogenesis in 180-day old UUO rats, in which inflammatory injury plays a major role. In addition, treatment of UUO rats with eplerenone, a mineralocorticoid receptor blocker (MRB), significantly reduced cardiac lymphangiogenesis and fibrosis. In conclusion, our experimental results showed that cardiac lymphangiogenesis in long-term UUO rats may be involved in the formation of cardiac fibrosis and that eplerenone can alleviate lymphangiogenesis and cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting inflammation.