Single-cell transcriptional profiles in glomeruli from type 2 db-/- mice

Diabetic nephropathy is a chronic complication of diabetes, presenting albuminuria at an early stage and leading to renal failure. Kidney is a complicated organ, which is responsible for body fluids control, acid-base balance, and removal of toxins. To better understand the progress of diabetic nephropathy, mice renal cortex of control mice, six-week db-/- (increased serum glucose without pathological changes in kidneys), and ten-week db-/- (with pathological changes in kidneys) were collected for single-cell sequencing analyses. A subgroup of glomerular endothelial cells with pro-angiogenetic features was identified in diabetic kidneys. Mice renal cortex of control mice (n=2), six-week (n=2) and ten-week db-/- (n=2) were collected for single-cell sequencing analyses (10xGenomics platform).糖尿病肾病（Diabetic nephropathy）是糖尿病的慢性并发症，早期以白蛋白尿为临床表征，最终可进展为肾衰竭。肾脏作为结构复杂的器官，承担着体液稳态调控、酸碱平衡维持及毒素清除等重要生理功能。为更深入地阐明糖尿病肾病的疾病进程，研究人员采集了对照组小鼠、6周龄db-/-小鼠（血清葡萄糖水平升高但肾脏未出现病理改变）及10周龄db-/-小鼠（肾脏已出现病理改变）的肾皮质组织，开展单细胞测序分析。研究人员在糖尿病模型小鼠的肾脏中，鉴定出一类具有促血管生成特征的肾小球内皮细胞亚群。本研究中，对照组（n=2）、6周龄db-/-组（n=2）及10周龄db-/-组（n=2）小鼠的肾皮质样本，均采用10xGenomics平台完成单细胞测序分析。