Down-regulation of the long non-coding RNA XIST ameliorates podocyte apoptosis in membranous nephropathy via the miR-217-TLR4 pathway.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? What is the role of the long non-coding RNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST), which is up-regulated in injured podocytes and membranous nephropathy, in the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy? What is the main finding and its importance? XIST was up-regulated in kidney tissue with membranous nephropathy and in injured podocytes. Down-regulation of XIST inhibited podocyte apoptosis. XIST negatively regulated miR-217, and miR-217 modulated Toll-like receptor 4.

Serum C3/C4 ratio is a novel predictor of renal prognosis in patients with IgA nephropathy: a retrospective study.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune disease associated with complement activation. It is unclear whether the ratio of serum C3 and C4 concentrations (C3/C4 ratio) can predict renal outcomes in IgAN patients. A total of 1503 patients diagnosed with IgAN via renal biopsy were recorded in this study.

Brazilin Ameliorates Diabetic Nephropathy and Inflammation in db/db Mice.

Hyperglycemia and inflammation play important roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Brazilin might be an effective pharmacological agent against hyperglycemia and inflammation. In our present study, we explored whether brazilin mitigated pathological progression, inflammation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in a mouse model of diabetic nephropathy.