Impacts of Metabolic Reprogramming on the Onset of Diabetic Nephropathy in Mice With Varying Lias Gene Expression Levels

Metabolic and energy reprogramming significantly affects renal cell function in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). We developed unique metabolic mouse models with varying levels of lipoic acid synthase (Lias) gene expression and correspondingly varying levels of protein lipoylation and metabolic activity. Using these metabolic mouse models, our study demonstrates that increased protein lipoylation can alleviate DKD through metabolic and energetic regulation. Our unique metabolic mouse models can serve as a preclinical platform to evaluate new therapeutic strategies, ultimately guiding translational studies for patients with DKD.