Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy is the most common chronic microvascular complication of diabetes and the role of podocytes in diabetic nephropathy has been extensively investigated in recent years. Podocytes, along with endothelial cells and the glomerular basement membrane, are crucial components of the glomerular filtration barrier, and podocyte damage and dysfunction are associated with diabetic nephropathy. In particular, dysfunction of the podocyte foot-like processes, particularly as a result of apoptosis, affects the glomerular filtration rate and causes proteinuria. This mini-review examines the mechanisms of podocyte apoptosis and discusses the latest findings on podocyte-related diabetic nephropathy, particularly the involvement of SIRT1.