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VSIG4 Expression During Renal Aging Is Accelerated by Type 2 Diabetes in Mice
Sang Youb Han1, Jungyeon Ghee1,2, Jin Joo Cha2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang 10380, Republic of Korea.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
V-set Ig domain-containing 4 (VSIG4) levels increase with kidney aging, particularly in diabetic mice. Urinary VSIG4 reflects age-related kidney changes, not solely diabetic injury.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Aging Research
- Diabetology
Background:
- V-set Ig domain-containing 4 (VSIG4) is implicated in chronic kidney disease profibrotic pathways.
- The longitudinal role of VSIG4 in renal aging, especially in diabetes, remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of VSIG4 in kidney aging.
- To examine the impact of diabetes on VSIG4 expression during renal aging.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of male C57BL/6J mice (db/m) and diabetic mice (db/db) from 8 to 38 weeks.
- Assessment of urinary albumin and VSIG4 via timed urine collections and ELISA.
- Analysis of intrarenal VSIG4 and klotho expression using immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- Diabetic mice exhibited higher urinary albumin and VSIG4 levels from 8 weeks, increasing with age.
- Urinary VSIG4 levels strongly correlated with urinary albumin (r = 0.867, p < 0.001).
- Intrarenal VSIG4 expression rose with age, appearing earlier and more prominently in diabetic mice, while klotho declined.
Conclusions:
- VSIG4 expression is altered during renal aging.
- Diabetes accelerates VSIG4 activation in the aging kidney.
- Urinary VSIG4 serves as a biomarker for aging-related kidney changes, distinct from diabetic nephropathy alone.
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