Figure 6.

HIF‐1α is a transcription factor that regulates HO‐1 gene expression, and HO‐1 facilitates mitochondrial fusion (Mfn1 and Mfn2) and inhibits mitochondrial fission (Drp1 and Fis1), thus maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. Under diabetic conditions, kidney tissues are hypoxic, which induces the expression of HIF‐1α through an impaired compensatory response. However, tubular‐specific deletion of HIF‐1α in the kidneys of diabetic mice exacerbated mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS accumulation and then caused tubular damage, thereby leading to diabetic kidney injury