Figure 2.

Conditional deletion of ChREBP in podocytes confers protection against DKD.A, Western blot analysis and quantification of ChREBP expression in podocytes isolated from tamoxifen-induced and noninduced dbm/ChREBP^Pod-f/f mice and db/db/ChREBP^Pod-f/f mice. B–D, body weight (B), blood glucose (C), and urinary ACR (D) of tamoxifen-induced dbm/ChREBP^Pod-f/f mice (n = 7) and noninduced dbm controls (n = 5) and tamoxifen-induced db/db/ChREBP^Pod-f/f mice (n = 8) and noninduced db/db controls (n = 7) at different ages. E, representative micrographs of PAS-stained kidney tissue sections, glomerular expression of synaptopodin, and TEM images showing podocyte morphology obtained from 20-week-old mice. Scale bars represent 50 μm in row 1 and 2; scale bar represents 0.5 μm in row 3. F, quantification of mesangial matrix expansion. n = 4 mice per group. G, quantification of synaptopodin-positive area per glomerulus. n=3 to 4 mice per group. H, quantification of GBM thickness. n = 3 or 4 mice per group. Results are presented as mean ± SEMs. ∗p < 0.05; ∗∗p < 0.01; ∗∗∗p < 0.001; ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001; NS, not significant. ACR, albumin to creatinine ratio; ChREBP, carbohydrate-response element-binding protein; DKD, diabetic kidney disease; GBM, glomerular basement membrane; PAS, Periodic-Acid Schiff’s; TEM, transmission electron microscopy.