ArticleScientific reports2025
Network toxicology and bioinformatics analysis reveal the molecular mechanisms of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in exacerbating diabetic nephropathy.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Human Diet: Sources of Exposure, Bioavailability, Toxicokinetics, and Systemic Health Effects.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Review
- Article
- Comprehensive Mendelian randomization analysis of inflammatory networks in diabetic nephropathy and pituitary adenoma: unveiling complex causal relationships.Discover oncology · 2025Article
- Druggable Targets for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Mendelian Randomization and Experimental Validation.Journal of inflammation research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The escalating prevalence of diabetic nephropathy (DN) has raised concerns about environmental pollutants, particularly polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MP), as potential contributors to metabolic diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms linking PET-MP exposure to DN remain unclear. This study integrates network toxicology and bioinformatics to explore PET-MP-induced nephrotoxicity in DN. PET-MP-related toxicity targets were identified using SwissTargetPrediction and SuperPred. DN-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were derived from the GSE96804 dataset. Overlapping genes were analyzed via enrichment analyses (GO, KEGG), Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Immune cell infiltration was assessed with CIBERSORT. Key genes were identified using machine learning models (LASSO, RF, SVM-RFE) and validated by a nomogram and molecular docking. Among 10,124 DN-related DEGs, 64 overlapped with PET-MP targets. These genes were enriched in pathways like VEGF signaling, PI3K activity, and oxidative stress responses. GSVA revealed significant dysregulation in 2,258 pathways, including inflammation, immune response, and ROS metabolism. Immune infiltration analysis showed reduced CD8 + T cells, monocytes, and neutrophils in DN, alongside increased Tregs and M2 macrophages. Machine learning models identified CASP3 and GRB2 as key feature genes, validated by robust cross-validation and two independent DN datasets. Molecular docking indicated favorable binding affinities of PET to CASP3 (Vina score: -5.3) and GRB2 (Vina score: -5.2), suggesting disruptions in apoptosis and signal transduction pathways. PET-MP may exacerbate DN by disrupting critical molecular and cellular pathways, compromising the regulation of apoptosis, immune responses, and cellular homeostasis. CASP3 and GRB2 emerge as central mediators, providing mechanistic insights into PET-MP-driven nephrotoxicity. This study underscores the role of environmental microplastics in metabolic disorders and highlights potential therapeutic targets for DN.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.