KLF4 Affects Acute Renal Allograft Injury via Binding to MicroRNA-155-5p Promoter to Regulate ERRFI1

Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) owns the promising potential in treating kidney injury, which inevitably occurs during renal allograft. Given that, this research targets to unveil KLF4-oriented mechanism from microRNA-155-5p/ERBB receptor feedback inhibitor 1 (miR-155-5p/ERRFI1) axis in acute renal allograft injury. Mice were injected with miR-155-5p-related sequences before acute renal allograft modeling. Afterwards, serum inflammation, along with oxidative stress, renal tubular injury, and apoptosis in renal tissues were detected. HK-2 cells were processed by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and transfected with miR-155-5p- or ERRFI1-related sequences, after which cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured. KLF4, miR-155-5p, and ERRFI1 expressions and their interaction were tested. KLF4 and miR-155-5p levels were enhanced, and ERRFI1 level was repressed in mice after acute renal allograft and in H/R-treated HK-2 cells. KLF4 bound to the promoter of miR-155-5p. Depleting miR-155-5p reduced serum inflammation and attenuated oxidative stress, renal tubular injury, and apoptosis in mice with acute renal allograft injury. Downregulating miR-155-5p facilitated proliferation and repressed apoptosis of H/R-treated HK-2 cells. miR-155-5p targeted ERRFI1. Knocking down ERRFI1 antagonized the effects of downregulated miR-155-5p on acute renal allograft injury, as well as on H/R-treated HK-2 cell proliferation and apoptosis. A summary displays that silencing KLF4 suppresses miR-155-5p to attenuate acute renal allograft injury by upregulating ERRFI1, which provides a way to control acute renal allograft injury.