Figure 2.

Glucose metabolism and production in the kidney tubules. Glucose is metabolized to glucose-6-phosphate which can enter the pentose phosphate pathway or be metabolized to pyruvate (glycolysis). The key enzymes necessary for glycolysis are listed in red, and these enzymes are predominately expressed in distal tubules of the kidney. Pyruvate can either be converted into lactate (anaerobic glycolysis) or enter the mitochondria where it is converted into acetyl-CoA by pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and oxidized by the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Enzymes associated with gluconeogenesis are shown in blue and their expression in the kidney is restricted to proximal tubules. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK). Created with BioRender.com.