Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases

Kidney diseases have rapidly increased in prevalence over the past few decades, and have now become a major global public health concern. This has put economic burden on the public healthcare system and causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Unfortunately, drugs currently in use for...

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Main Authors: George J. Dugbartey, Karl K. Alornyo, Christabel O. Dapaa-Addo, Emmanuel Botchway, Emmanuel K. Kwashie, Yvonne Harley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Current Research in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590257124000336
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author George J. Dugbartey
Karl K. Alornyo
Christabel O. Dapaa-Addo
Emmanuel Botchway
Emmanuel K. Kwashie
Yvonne Harley
author_facet George J. Dugbartey
Karl K. Alornyo
Christabel O. Dapaa-Addo
Emmanuel Botchway
Emmanuel K. Kwashie
Yvonne Harley
author_sort George J. Dugbartey
collection DOAJ
description Kidney diseases have rapidly increased in prevalence over the past few decades, and have now become a major global public health concern. This has put economic burden on the public healthcare system and causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Unfortunately, drugs currently in use for the management of kidney diseases have long-term major adverse effects that negatively impact the quality of life of these patients, hence making these drugs a “necessary evil”. In recent times, antioxidant therapy has been explored as a potential pharmacological avenue for treatment of kidney diseases, and could offer a better therapeutic option with less adverse effect profile. One of such antioxidants is alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a sulphur-containing multifunctional antioxidant that is endogenously produced by lipoic acid synthase in the mitochondria of many tissues, including the kidney. Burgeoning evidence indicates that ALA is showing clinical promise in the treatment and pharmacological management of many kidney diseases through its antioxidant and other therapeutic properties by activating several protective mechanisms while inhibiting deleterious signaling pathways. In this review, we present ALA as a potent naturally occurring antioxidant, its mitochondrial biosynthesis and pharmacological properties. In addition, we also discuss within the limit of present literature, ALA and its underlying molecular mechanisms implicated in experimental and clinical treatment of various kidney conditions, and thus, may offer nephrologists an additional and/or alternative avenue in the pharmacological management and treatment of kidney diseases while giving hope to these patients.
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spelling doaj-art-dfd2f3736ced444da47fe4c3158155762025-08-20T02:37:45ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery2590-25712024-01-01710020610.1016/j.crphar.2024.100206Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseasesGeorge J. Dugbartey0Karl K. Alornyo1Christabel O. Dapaa-Addo2Emmanuel Botchway3Emmanuel K. Kwashie4Yvonne Harley5Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Accra College of Medicine, East Legon, Accra, Ghana; Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, N6A 5C1, London, ON, Canada; Matthew Mailing Centre for Translational Transplant Studies, London Health Sciences Centre, Western University, N6A 5C1, London, ON, Canada; Corresponding author. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Accra College of Medicine, East Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Accra College of Medicine, East Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Accra College of Medicine, East Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Accra College of Medicine, East Legon, Accra, GhanaKidney diseases have rapidly increased in prevalence over the past few decades, and have now become a major global public health concern. This has put economic burden on the public healthcare system and causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Unfortunately, drugs currently in use for the management of kidney diseases have long-term major adverse effects that negatively impact the quality of life of these patients, hence making these drugs a “necessary evil”. In recent times, antioxidant therapy has been explored as a potential pharmacological avenue for treatment of kidney diseases, and could offer a better therapeutic option with less adverse effect profile. One of such antioxidants is alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a sulphur-containing multifunctional antioxidant that is endogenously produced by lipoic acid synthase in the mitochondria of many tissues, including the kidney. Burgeoning evidence indicates that ALA is showing clinical promise in the treatment and pharmacological management of many kidney diseases through its antioxidant and other therapeutic properties by activating several protective mechanisms while inhibiting deleterious signaling pathways. In this review, we present ALA as a potent naturally occurring antioxidant, its mitochondrial biosynthesis and pharmacological properties. In addition, we also discuss within the limit of present literature, ALA and its underlying molecular mechanisms implicated in experimental and clinical treatment of various kidney conditions, and thus, may offer nephrologists an additional and/or alternative avenue in the pharmacological management and treatment of kidney diseases while giving hope to these patients.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590257124000336Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)Acute kidney injury (AKI)Kidney transplantationDiabetic nephropathy (DN)Hypertensive nephropathyEnd-stage renal disease (ESRD)
spellingShingle George J. Dugbartey
Karl K. Alornyo
Christabel O. Dapaa-Addo
Emmanuel Botchway
Emmanuel K. Kwashie
Yvonne Harley
Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases
Current Research in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
Acute kidney injury (AKI)
Kidney transplantation
Diabetic nephropathy (DN)
Hypertensive nephropathy
End-stage renal disease (ESRD)
title Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases
title_full Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases
title_fullStr Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases
title_full_unstemmed Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases
title_short Alpha-lipoic acid: A promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases
title_sort alpha lipoic acid a promising pharmacotherapy seen through the lens of kidney diseases
topic Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
Acute kidney injury (AKI)
Kidney transplantation
Diabetic nephropathy (DN)
Hypertensive nephropathy
End-stage renal disease (ESRD)
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590257124000336
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