GDF5 Exacerbates Tubulointerstitial Injury by Inducing Partial Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition of Tubular Epithelial Cells in Diabetic Kidney Disease
Elevated growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) expression is correlated with disease progression in both patients with diabetic kidney disease and db/db mice. Adipose-specific GDF5 overexpression exacerbates, whereas its knockdown alleviates, renal tubulointerstitial injury in vivo. GDF5 directly induces partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tubular cells by activating the SMAD1/5/8 signaling pathway. Tubular cells exposed to GDF5 release factors that promote proinflammatory cytokine secretion in macrophages.
Authors
- Shiyun Tong
- Yan Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0379-8866)
- Jing Lei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7101-5790)
- Y. Xiong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3791-0563)
- Shumin Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0238-4779)
- Rufei Gao
- Shuangxin Qi
- Qifu Li
- Linqiang Ma
- Manman Du
- Xiangjun Chen
- Wei Huang
- Chuan Peng
- Jinbo Hu
- Yunyan Liu
- Ting Luo
Institutions
- Southwest Medical University (CN)
- Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University (CN)
- The Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (CN)
- Chongqing Public Health Medical Center (CN)
- Chongqing Medical University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Diabetes
- Published
- 2026-02-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2337/db25-0599
- Primary Topic
- Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00