Abstract
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. It is the most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease with no definitive therapy available so far. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, are nano- and micron-sized heterogeneous vesicles that can be secreted by almost all cell types. Importantly, EVs contain many biologically active materials, such as RNAs, DNAs, proteins, and lipids, from their parental cells, which can be transported to their recipient cells to mediate intercellular communication and signaling. Accumulating studies demonstrated that EVs, mainly exosomes and microvesicles, participated in the pathophysiological process of DN. Recently emerging studies also found that the contents of EVs in the urine (miRNAs, mRNAs, and proteins) could be used as potential biomarkers for DN. Therefore, in this mini-review, the generation, isolation methods, and biological function of EVs were introduced, and then the current information about the mechanism and the diagnostic value in the development of DN was summarized. Moreover, the review also discussed the future challenges of exploring the role of EVs in kidney disease.
Highlights
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small spherical packages released by a variety of cells into the extracellular environment
MRNAs in urine EVs (uEVs) can be used as biomarkers in the diagnosis of Diabetic nephropathy (DN)
The findings showed that the levels of urinary exosomal Wilm’s tumor-1 (WT1) protein were significantly higher (P = 0.001) in patients with proteinuria than in those without proteinuria, suggesting that WT1 could be used as an early noninvasive marker of DN [58]
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small spherical packages released by a variety of cells into the extracellular environment. The microvesicles are 50–1,000 nm in size and are formed by the outward budding of the plasma membrane, with the release of a heterogeneous irregular population of large vesicles [8]. The contents of both exosomes and microvesicles include various types of proteins, lipids, DNAs, and RNAs originating from their. Scientists aim to find new ways to discover uEV biomarkers (including miRNAs, mRNAs, and proteins) by fully understanding the mechanisms of action of EVs in DN. Based on the latest literature reviews, this study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of action of EVs in DN and the opportunities and the challenges in discovering uEV biomarkers
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