Loss of stromal VEGFR2 protects against ischemic acute kidney injury by preserving the renal microvasculature

Renal stroma-specific VEGFR2 loss in mice attenuates ischemic acute kidney injury after renal ischemia/reperfusion, preserving microvasculature and renal blood flow.

• Why it matters: Peritubular capillary injury is a hallmark of ischemic AKI, but VEGFR2’s role in renal stromal cells and stromal–endothelial signaling is unclear.
• What they did: The study mined human and mouse single-cell/single-nucleus RNA-seq to find VEGFR2 in renal stromal populations, confirmed phosphorylated VEGFR2 in mouse stroma, then tested renal stroma-specific Vegfr2 knockout in renal IRI.
• The result: Stromal Vegfr2 deletion reduced tubular injury and endothelial oxidative stress, maintained microvascular integrity, increased Angpt1 and Tek, enhanced endothelial ERK activation, and preserved adherent junctions.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.