Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common microvascular complications in diabetic patients; it is also an important cause of renal dysfunction, renal fibrosis, and end-stage renal disease. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of DN is complex and has not yet been fully elucidated; hence, the pathogenesis of DN to determine effective treatments of crucial importance is deeply explored. Early DN research focuses on hemodynamic changes and metabolic disorders, and recent studies have shown the regulatory role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in genes, which may be a new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for diabetic nephropathy. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the clinical value and molecular mechanisms of miRNAs in DN, providing new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of DN.

N6-methyladenosine is a prevalent and abundant transcriptome modification, and its methylation regulates the various aspects of RNAs, including transcription, translation, processing and metabolism. The methylation of N6-methyladenosine is highly associated with numerous cellular processes, which plays important roles in the development of physiological process and diseases. The high prevalence of metabolic diseases poses a serious threat to human health, but its pathological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recent studies have reported that the progression of metabolic diseases is closely related to the expression of RNA N6-methyladenosine modification. In this review, we aim to summarize the biological and clinical significance of RNA N6-methyladenosine modification in metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and immune-related metabolic diseases.

Diabetes mellitus is the leading chronic disease in the world, and diabetic nephropathy (DN) as one of its complications could increase the mortality. The development of DN is associated to abnormal hemodynamic factors like cytokine networks and the intervention of metabolic risk factors like blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipid. However, the pathogenesis of DN is still poorly understood. Although glucose-lowering drugs and insulins have significant effects on blood glucose, the fluctuation of blood glucose or other risk factors could continuously damage the kidney. Recent studies reported that the progression of DN is closely related to the expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), which is important for the early diagnosis and targeted intervention of DN. In this review, we briefly summarize the published studies on the functions and potential mechanism of reported lncRNA in the regulation of DN.

Objectives. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) throughout the world, and the identification of novel biomarkers via bioinformatics analysis could provide research foundation for future experimental verification and large-group cohort in DN models and patients. Methods. GSE30528, GSE47183, and GSE104948 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The difference of gene expression between normal renal tissues and DN renal tissues was firstly screened by GEO2R. Then, the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of DEGs were performed by STRING database, the result was integrated and visualized via applying Cytoscape software, and the hub genes in this PPI network were selected by MCODE and topological analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to determine the molecular mechanisms of DEGs involved in the progression of DN. Finally, the Nephroseq v5 online platform was used to explore the correlation between hub genes and clinical features of DN. Results. There were 64 DEGs, and 32 hub genes were identified, enriched pathways of hub genes involved in several functions and expression pathways, such as complement binding, extracellular matrix structural constituent, complement cascade related pathways, and ECM proteoglycans. The correlation analysis and subgroup analysis of 7 complement cascade-related hub genes and the clinical characteristics of DN showed that C1QA, C1QB, C3, CFB, ITGB2, VSIG4, and CLU may participate in the development of DN. Conclusions. We confirmed that the complement cascade-related hub genes may be the novel biomarkers for DN early diagnosis and targeted treatment.

Background. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus and is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease. Cordyceps sinensis (Cordyceps, Dong Chong Xia Cao) is a widely applied ingredient for treating patients with DN in China, while the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study is aimed at revealing the therapeutic mechanisms of Cordyceps in DN by undertaking a network pharmacology analysis. Materials and Methods. In this study, active ingredients and associated target proteins of Cordyceps sinensis were obtained via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP) and Swiss Target Prediction platform, then reconfirmed by using PubChem databases. The collection of DN-related target genes was based on DisGeNET and GeneCards databases. A DN-Cordyceps common target interaction network was carried out via the STRING database, and the results were integrated and visualized by utilizing Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to determine the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic effects of Cordyceps on the treatment of DN. Results. Seven active ingredients were screened from Cordyceps, 293 putative target genes were identified, and 85 overlapping targets matched with DN were considered potential therapeutic targets, such as TNF, MAPK1, EGFR, ACE, and CASP3. The results of GO and KEGG analyses revealed that hub targets mainly participated in the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway. These targets were correlated with inflammatory response, apoptosis, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and other biological processes. Conclusions. Our study showed that Cordyceps is characterized as multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel. Cordyceps may play a crucial role in the treatment of DN by targeting TNF, MAPK1, EGFR, ACE, and CASP3 signaling and involved in the inflammatory response, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance.

Background: Renal fibrosis is a key pathological change that occurs in the progression of almost all chronic kidney diseases . CKD has the characteristics of high morbidity and mortality. Its prevalence is increasing each year on a global scale, which seriously affects people’s health and quality of life. Natural products have been used for new drug development and disease treatment for many years. The abundant natural products in R. ribes L. can intervene in the process of renal fibrosis in different ways and have considerable therapeutic prospects.Purpose: The etiology and pathology of renal fibrosis were analyzed, and the different ways in which the natural components of R. ribes L. can intervene and provide curative effects on the process of renal fibrosis were summarized. Methods: Electronic databases, such as PubMed, Life Science, MEDLINE, and Web of Science, were searched using the keywords ‘R. ribes L.’, ‘kidney fibrosis’, ‘emodin’ and ‘rhein’, and the various ways in which the natural ingredients protect against renal fibrosis were collected and sorted out.Results: We analyzed several factors that play a leading role in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis, such as the mechanism of the TGF-β/Smad and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways. Additionally, we reviewed the progress of the treatment of renal fibrosis with natural components in R. ribes L. and the intervention mechanism of the crucial therapeutic targets.Conclusion: The natural components of R. ribes L. have a wide range of intervention effects on renal fibrosis targets, which provides new ideas for the development of new anti-kidney fibrosis drugs.