Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40069788›Full record

ArticleJournal of nanobiotechnology2025

CREB1/CRTC2 regulated tubular epithelial-derived exosomal miR-93-3p promotes kidney injury induced by calcium oxalate via activating M1 polarization and macrophage extracellular trap formation.

Yushi Sun, Bojun Li, Baofeng Song, Yuqi Xia, Xiangjun Zhou, Fangyou Lin, Ting Rao, Fan Cheng

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of nanobiotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Macrophage Extracellular Traps in Immunity and Cancer.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yushi Sun *Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China.
Bojun Li *Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China.
Baofeng Song *Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China.
Yuqi XiaDepartment of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China.
Xiangjun ZhouDepartment of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China.
Fangyou Lin *Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China. 141548237@qq.com.
Ting Rao *Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China. tinart@126.com.
Fan Cheng *Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 238 Jiefang Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P.R. China. urology1969@aliyun.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82100806National Natural Science Foundation of China 82170775National Natural Science Foundation of China 82270802The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities 2042023kf0022The Open Project of Hubei Key Laboratory 2023KFZZ009
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCalcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals are known to cause renal injury and trigger inflammatory responses. However, the role of exosome-mediated epithelial-macrophage communication in CaOx-induced kidney injury remains unclear.

methodsTo identify key molecules, miRNA sequencing was conducted on exosomes derived from CaOx-treated (CaOx-exo) and control (Ctrl-exo) epithelial cells, identifying miR-93-3p as significantly upregulated. A combination of dual-luciferase reporter assays, Western blot, RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR (CHIP-qPCR) was used to explore the regulation of miR-93-3p by CREB1/CRTC2 and its downstream effects on NFAT5/Akt1/NIK/NF-κB2 signaling in macrophages. The functional roles of NFAT5 in macrophage polarization and macrophage extracellular traps (METs) formation were further evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.

resultsEpithelial exosomes stimulated by CaOx crystals were found to promote kidney injury via macrophage polarization and METs formation. Treatment with NIK SMI1, a NIK inhibitor, or CI-amidine, a METs inhibitor, mitigated crystal deposition and CaOx-induced kidney damage. Overexpression of NFAT5 in a CaOx-induced mouse model reduced renal injury and crystal deposition, downregulated NIK and NF-κB2 levels, and decreased the number of M1-polarized macrophages. Mechanistic studies revealed that miR-93-3p directly targets NFAT5 mRNA, as confirmed by dual-luciferase assays, qRT-PCR, and Western blot. Additionally, we demonstrated that CREB1/CRTC2 acts as a transcriptional activator of miR-93-3p. Inhibition of miR-93-3p partially reversed NIK/NF-κB2 activation and alleviated kidney injury.

conclusionsCaOx crystals exacerbate renal interstitial injury by promoting M1 macrophage polarization and METs formation through the CREB1/CRTC2-exosomal miR-93-3p-NIK/NF-κB2 signaling pathway. Targeting this pathway may provide therapeutic avenues for mitigating crystal deposition-induced kidney damage.

Indexed as

Calcium OxalateCyclic AMP Response Element-Binding ProteinExosomesMacrophagesMicroRNAsTranscription FactorsAnimalsEpithelial CellsMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLRAW 264.7 CellsSignal TransductionCalcium OxalateCreb1 protein, mouseCyclic AMP Response Element-Binding ProteinMicroRNAsNfat5 protein, mouseTranscription FactorsExosomesKidney stonesMacrophage extracellular trapsMacrophagesmiR-93-3pNIK/NF-κB2

Identifiers

PMID40069788
PMCPMC11900527

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.