Pathophysiology of diabetic kidney disease and autophagy: A review

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the main complications of diabetic microangiopathy. The pathogenesis of DKD is very complex, including autophagy, inflammation, oxidative stress. Although a series of treatment intervention have achieved certain results in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy, still cannot reverse the kidney injury of diabetic nephropathy. The kidney is one of the most important organs of energy metabolism. Renal function is highly dependent on phagocytosis of mitochondria, and aberrant or defective autophagic mechanisms are central to the pathology of many renal diseases. Under high glucose conditions, mitochondrial fragments accumulate in the kidney, suggesting that mitochondrial clearance mechanisms may be attenuated with changes in mitochondrial transformation mechanisms. However, the exact mechanism of mitophagy regulation in DKD has not been elucidated. Recent advances in autophagy have renewed interest in these signaling pathways and molecules in the pathogenesis of DKD. Investigating autophagy and its associated signaling molecules may provide potential unique targets for therapeutic intervention in DKD.