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Study · Animal study (in vivo) · mouse · 2026

7 results

Thymosin β4 alleviates sepsis-associated acute kidney injury by suppressing MAPK signaling pathway.

Ouyang X, Long Z, Xu X, Jiang M, Pei Y, Jin B, Cheng C, Zhuang H, Gao Y, Wang T, Jiang X

Clinical science (London, England : 1979)1 Aug 2026Cited by 1 (Europe PMC)

PMID42417058 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1042/cs20261084 (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-42417058
Publisher pagePubMedAsk about this study
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Summary

Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is a common complication in septic patients and is associated with high mortality and progression to chronic kidney disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that thymosin β4 (Tβ4) attenuates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury and ischemic AKI by suppressing inflammatory responses. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of Tβ4 on SA-AKI and elucidate its underlying mechanisms. In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS. Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, followed by validation using western blotting and qRT-PCR. In SA-AKI mice, serum Tβ4 levels were significantly decreased. Administration of Tβ4 ameliorated renal dysfunction and morphological injury in LPS-treated mice, accompanied by reduced renal inflammation and apoptosis. Transcriptome-sequencing analysis indicated that the MAPK signaling pathway was involved in both SA-AKI pathogenesis and the protective effect of Tβ4. Western blotting of the renal tissues confirmed that LPS enhanced the phosphorylation of JNK1/2, p38 MAPK, and ERK1/2, while Tβ4 significantly suppressed their activation. In HK-2 cells, pharmacological activation of the MAPK pathway with anisomycin restored MAPK phosphorylation and partially reversed the inhibitory effects of Tβ4 on the mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-18. In conclusion, Tβ4 alleviates renal inflammation and apoptosis in SA-AKI by suppressing the MAPK signaling pathway. Tβ4 may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for early intervention in SA-AKI.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study7

6 results from studies that gave the peptide. No result from this study comes from people.

  1. 01AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In LPS-treated mice, Tβ4 ameliorated renal dysfunction.

    In plain wordsIn mice with sepsis-linked kidney injury, Tβ4 improved kidney function compared with LPS alone.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseRenal dysfunction
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    LPS-induced sepsis-associated AKI
    Comparator
    LPS without Tβ4
    Outcome group
    Kidney function · Kidney and urinary
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Administration of Tβ4 ameliorated renal dysfunction
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS.
    Summary · context
    Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure.
  2. 02AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In LPS-treated mice, Tβ4 ameliorated morphological kidney injury.

    In plain wordsIn mice with sepsis-linked kidney injury, Tβ4 reduced visible kidney tissue damage compared with LPS alone.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseRenal morphological injury
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    LPS-induced sepsis-associated AKI
    Comparator
    LPS without Tβ4
    Outcome group
    Kidney function · Kidney and urinary
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    morphological injury in LPS-treated mice
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS.
    Summary · context
    Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure.
  3. 03AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In LPS-treated mice, Tβ4 was accompanied by reduced renal inflammation.

    In plain wordsIn mice with sepsis-linked kidney injury, Tβ4 came with less kidney inflammation than LPS alone.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseRenal inflammation
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    LPS-induced sepsis-associated AKI
    Comparator
    LPS without Tβ4
    Outcome group
    Inflammation markers · Kidney and urinary
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    accompanied by reduced renal inflammation
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS.
    Summary · context
    Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure.
  4. 04AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Efficacy outcome

    In LPS-treated mice, Tβ4 was accompanied by reduced renal apoptosis.

    In plain wordsIn mice with sepsis-linked kidney injury, Tβ4 came with less kidney cell death than LPS alone.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseRenal apoptosis
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    LPS-induced sepsis-associated AKI
    Comparator
    LPS without Tβ4
    Outcome group
    Kidney function · Kidney and urinary
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    accompanied by reduced renal inflammation and apoptosis
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS.
    Summary · context
    Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure.
  5. 05AnimalAnimal study (in vivo)Mechanism

    In renal tissue of LPS-treated mice, Tβ4 significantly suppressed LPS-enhanced phosphorylation of JNK1/2, p38 MAPK and ERK1/2.

    In plain wordsIn mice with sepsis-linked kidney injury, Tβ4 lowered activation of the MAPK signaling proteins that LPS raised.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseMAPK phosphorylation (JNK1/2, p38, ERK1/2) in renal tissue
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    LPS-induced sepsis-associated AKI
    Comparator
    LPS without Tβ4
    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Kidney and urinary
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    while Tβ4 significantly suppressed their activation.
    3 context sentences
    Summary · context
    LPS enhanced the phosphorylation of JNK1/2, p38 MAPK, and ERK1/2
    Summary · context
    In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS.
    Summary · context
    Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure.
  6. 06LabIn vitro (cells)Mechanism

    In HK-2 cells, Tβ4 inhibited mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-1β and IL-18, and the MAPK activator anisomycin partially reversed this inhibition.

    In plain wordsIn kidney cells, Tβ4 lowered inflammatory messenger levels, and a MAPK activator partly reversed this effect.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreasePro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-18) with MAPK activator
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    HK-2 cells, LPS model
    Outcome group
    Inflammation markers · Kidney and urinary
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In HK-2 cells, pharmacological activation of the MAPK pathway with anisomycin restored MAPK phosphorylation and partially reversed the inhibitory effects of Tβ4 on the mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-18.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS.
    Summary · context
    Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure.

Natural levels measured1

These results measure the body's own peptide. Nobody was given the peptide. They are not evidence about taking it. They are left out of key results, evidence counts and charts.

  1. 07AnimalEndogenous levelAnimal study (in vivo)Other

    In mice with LPS-induced sepsis-associated acute kidney injury, serum Tβ4 levels were significantly decreased.

    In plain wordsIn mice with sepsis-linked kidney injury, the body's own Tβ4 level in blood was lower.

    Peptide
    Thymosin beta-4 (human)
    Outcome
    DecreaseSerum Tβ4 level in SA-AKI
    Study

    mousen: not reported in source

    LPS-induced sepsis-associated AKI
    Outcome group
    Kidney function · Kidney and urinary

    Source sentences

    Summary
    In SA-AKI mice, serum Tβ4 levels were significantly decreased.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In vivo and in vitro models of SA-AKI were established using LPS.
    Summary · context
    Tβ4 was administered 30 min after LPS exposure.

    This result measures the body's own Thymosin beta-4 (human). Nobody was given the peptide. It is not evidence about taking it.

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    13 Oct 2026, 01:52 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    12 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

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