Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40257664›Full record

ArticleInternational urology and nephrology2025

Association of the gut microbiome with diabetic nephropathy and the mediated effect of metabolites: friend or enemy?

Yunfeng Yu, Xinyu Yang, Juan Deng, Yuman Yin, Yongjun Wu, Rong Yu

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Article in International urology and nephrology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yunfeng YuSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Xinyu YangSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Juan DengSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yuman YinSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Yongjun WuSchool of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China. wuyj@21cn.com.
Rong YuSchool of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China. yurong196905@163.com.

Funding

Hunan University of Chinese Medicine Disciplinary Construction' Revealing the List and Appointing Leaders' Project (22JBZ002)National Natural Science Foundation of China (U21A20411)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe effects of gut microbiome and its metabolites on diabetic nephropathy (DN) have been inadequately elucidated. The aim of this study is to assess the causal effect of gut microbiome on DN and the mediated effect of metabolites by a two-step Mendelian randomization (MR).

methodsDatasets of gut microbiome, metabolites, and DN were acquired in genome-wide association studies and screened for single nucleotide polymorphisms according to the underlying assumptions of MR. Subsequently, inverse variance weighted was used as the primary method for MR analysis to assess the causal effect of gut microbiome on DN and the mediated effect of metabolites. Finally, MR-Egger intercept, Cochran's Q test, and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis were used to assess the horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and robustness of the results, respectively.

resultsThe MR analysis demonstrated that Parabacteroides merdae increased the genetic susceptibility to DN by reducing acetylcarnitine (C2) to propionylcarnitine (C3) ratio (mediated proportion 8.95%, mediated effect 0.024) and alpha-ketobutyrate to 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate ratio (mediated proportion 19.90%, mediated effect 0.053). MR Egger showed that these results lack horizontal pleiotropy (p ≥ 0.05). Cochran's Q and sensitivity analysis suggested these results had no heterogeneity (p ≥ 0.05) and were robust.

conclusionOur findings revealed the pathway by which Parabacteroides merdae increased the genetic susceptibility to DN by regulating acetylcarnitine (C2) to propionylcarnitine (C3) ratio and alpha-ketobutyrate to 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate ratio. It provides new genetic insights for understanding the pathogenesis of DN and related drug research.

Indexed as

Diabetic NephropathiesGastrointestinal MicrobiomeGenome-Wide Association StudyHumansMendelian Randomization AnalysisPolymorphism, Single NucleotideDiabetic nephropathyGut microbiomeMediated effectMendelian randomizationMetabolites

Identifiers

PMID40257664

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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.