Evidence mapPaperPMID 42467084Full record

ArticleDiabetologia2026

Liver-to-kidney apolipoprotein J trans-accumulation exacerbates diabetic renal injury by disrupting TFEB-mediated lipid homeostasis.

Shuangdi Duan, Nong Qin, Jiayi Pi, Cheng-Pin Huang, Pei Sun, Qiongguang Huang, Kai Ke, Zhaohong Mo, Hau-Chern Jan, Hsin-Tzu Wang and 6 more

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Article in Diabetologia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Shuangdi DuanDivision of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1333-4715
Nong QinHubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Jiayi PiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, China.
Cheng-Pin HuangDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Pei SunDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, China.
Qiongguang HuangDivision of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Kai KeDivision of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Zhaohong MoDivision of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Hau-Chern JanDepartment of Urology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Hsin-Tzu WangDepartment of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Wen-Chun LiuDepartment of Nursing, National Tainan Junior College of Nursing, Tainan, Taiwan.
Li-Chi ChiDepartment of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Lamei LiuDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, China.
Liyang ShiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, China.
Shuen-Ru YangDepartment of Oncology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Hung-Yu SunDepartment of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Hysun@gs.ncku.edu.tw.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5411-8424

Funding

National Cheng Kung University D115-G2520National Cheng Kung University Hospital NCKUH-11210019National Cheng Kung University Hospital NCKUH-11304071National Cheng Kung University Hospital NCKUH-11310019National Science and Technology Council NSTC 113-2622-B-006-002National Science and Technology Council NSTC 113-2628-B-006-010National Science and Technology Council NSTC 114-2622-B-006-004National Science and Technology Council NSTC 114-2628-B-006-006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aims/hypothesisEctopic lipid accumulation in renal tubules induces lipotoxicity and contributes to the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Apolipoprotein J (ApoJ), a glucose-regulated, liver-derived molecular chaperone, is implicated in systemic metabolic homeostasis. This study aimed to investigate the pathophysiological role of ApoJ in the development of DKD.

methodsSpearman's r analysis was used to evaluate the association between circulating ApoJ concentrations and renal function in a cohort of 201 individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pathways were identified by proteomic analyses and subsequently validated using gain- and loss-of-function approaches in proximal tubular epithelial HK2 cells, tissue-specific ApoJ-knockout mice and additional mouse models of DKD.

resultsIn individuals with type 2 diabetes, circulating ApoJ concentrations were positively associated with indices of renal dysfunction. In murine models of DKD, elevated renal ApoJ was accompanied by increased lipid accumulation and structural kidney injury. Mechanistic studies revealed that ApoJ inhibited FBW7-mediated ubiquitination of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), thereby enhancing mTOR interaction with transcription factor EB (TFEB) in HK2 cells under conditions of nutrient excess, leading to lipid imbalance and renal fibrosis. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of ApoJ eliminated circulating ApoJ, prevented its accumulation in renal tubules and ameliorated diabetic kidney injury. Furthermore, pharmacological blockade with the ApoJ antagonist MK53 reactivated the TFEB-autophagy pathway, restored lipid homeostasis and reduced renal damage in diabetic mice. CONCLUSIONS/

interpretationOur findings highlight a liver-to-kidney interorgan transfer of pathogenetic ApoJ in diabetic kidney injury and suggest that MK53 represents a potential therapeutic strategy for DKD.

Indexed as

Apolipoprotein JAutophagyDiabetic renal injuryLipid homeostasisLiver-to-kidney axismTORPeptide therapeuticsTFEB

Identifiers

PMID42467084

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.