Minireviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Apr 15, 2022; 13(4): 308-318
Published online Apr 15, 2022. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v13.i4.308
Gut microbiota and diabetic kidney diseases: Pathogenesis and therapeutic perspectives
Jia-Ran Lin, Zi-Ting Wang, Jiao-Jiao Sun, Ying-Ying Yang, Xue-Xin Li, Xin-Ru Wang, Yue Shi, Yuan-Yuan Zhu, Rui-Ting Wang, Mi-Na Wang, Fei-Yu Xie, Peng Wei, Ze-Huan Liao
Jia-Ran Lin, Mi-Na Wang, Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Jia-Ran Lin, Department of Nephrology and Endocrinology, Dongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China
Zi-Ting Wang, Department of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17165, Sweden
Jiao-Jiao Sun, Yuan-Yuan Zhu, First Clinical Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Ying-Ying Yang, Clinical Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 201204, China
Ying-Ying Yang, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17165, Sweden
Xue-Xin Li, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17121, Sweden
Xin-Ru Wang, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, First Clinical Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Yue Shi, Second Clinical Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Rui-Ting Wang, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Mi-Na Wang, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Neuromodulation, Beijing 100010, China
Fei-Yu Xie, Peng Wei, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Fei-Yu Xie, Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100102, China
Ze-Huan Liao, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
Ze-Huan Liao, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
Author contributions: Lin JR generated the figure and wrote the first draft; Wang ZT, Sun JJ, Yang YY, Li XX, Wang XR, Shi Y, Zhu YY, Wang RT, Wang MN, and Xie FY contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript; Liao ZH accepted the editor invitation, conceptualized the topic, and proofread the manuscript; both Wei P and Liao ZH provided supervision and approved the submission of this minireview.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ze-Huan Liao, BSc, Teaching Assistant, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore. liao0058@e.ntu.edu.sg
Received: May 9, 2021
Peer-review started: May 9, 2021
First decision: July 3, 2021
Revised: August 9, 2021
Accepted: April 2, 2022
Article in press: April 2, 2022
Published online: April 15, 2022
Abstract

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the major chronic complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), as well as a main cause of end-stage renal disease. Over the last few years, substantial research studies have revealed a contributory role of gut microbiota in the process of DM and DKD. Metabolites of gut microbiota like lipopolysaccharide, short-chain fatty acids, and trimethylamine N-oxide are key mediators of microbial–host crosstalk. However, the underlying mechanisms of how gut microbiota influences the onset and progression of DKD are relatively unknown. Besides, strategies to remodel the composition of gut microbiota or to reduce the metabolites of microbiota have been found recently, representing a new potential remedial target for DKD. In this mini-review, we will address the possible contribution of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of DKD and its role as a therapeutic target.

Keywords: Diabetes, Gut microbiota, Insulin resistance, Diabetic kidney disease, Pathogenesis, Therapeutic targets

Core Tip: This minireview consolidates the potential role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis and as a therapeutic target of diabetic kidney disease. It is known that metabolites of gut microbiota such as trimethylamine N-oxide, short-chain fatty acids, and lipopolysaccharides are important mediators of microbial-host crosstalk. However, the main mechanism of how the gut microbiota specifically affects the occurrence and progress of diabetic kidney disease has not yet been fully explored.