The PPAR-α selective agonist WY14643 improves lupus nephritis via the downregulation of the RORγT/STAT3 signaling pathway in MRL/lpr mice

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a classic autoimmune disorder that mostly affects young women and involves various organs, such as the skin, joints, central nervous system, and kidneys. WY14643, a selective agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha, has previously shown anti-inflammatory effects in various disease models. However, its effects on lupus nephritis are yet to be explored. Therefore, the efficacy of WY14643 on renal biomarkers and lupus nephritis was assessed in MRL/lpr mice. Flow cytometry was used to examine the effects of WY14643 on the expression of IL-17A, STAT3, ROR gamma T, IL-21, IL-21R, IL-22, and TNF-alpha in splenic CD4+ T cells. We further investigated the impact of WY14643 on the mRNA expression of IL-17A, STAT3, ROR gamma T, IL-21, IL-21R, IL-22, and TNF-alpha in kidney tissue via RT-PCR analysis. The administration of WY14643 effectively improved the symptoms of lupus nephritis in MRL/lpr mice. The administration of WY14643 decreased serum albumin, urine protein, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen levels in MRL/lpr mice. WY14643 reduced the levels of inflammatory markers, including CD4+IL-17A+, CD4+STAT3+, CD4+ROR gamma T+, CD4+IL-21+, CD4+IL-21R+, CD4+IL-22+, and CD4+TNF-alpha+, in the spleen cells of MRL/lpr mice. Additionally, we discovered that the administration of WY14643 resulted in the suppression of mRNA levels of IL-17A, STAT3, ROR gamma T, IL-21, IL-22, and TNF-alpha. The current work shows that the suppression of inflammatory cells by WY14643 may effectively reduce autoimmune characteristics, such as renal inflammation, in lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice. Therefore, WY14643, being a specific PPAR-alpha agonist, shows significant potential as a novel therapeutic option for treating nephritis associated with SLE, offering hope for future treatments in this challenging field.