Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus and can lead to chronic kidney failure. However, prevention and treatment options are fairly limited. In addition, the incidence and rate of progression of DKD is known to differ between male and female patients. To date, the reasons underlying these sex differences have been unclear. A new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, has begun the process of identifying potential mechanisms for sex differences in DKD.

The authors began by examining the sex differences in human PTECs from three male and three female donors. At baseline and after metabolic stress, the male PTECs had a larger cell surface, larger mitochondrial area, higher oxygen consumption rates and higher glycolysis than the female PTECs. Maximal glycolytic capacity, glycolytic reserve and ATP-linked respiration were similar between the two sets of PTECs, but maximal respiratory capacity and reserve capacity were increased in the male cells.