Liu Zeng

ABSTRACT

Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide because of its rapid onset and its capacity to disrupt nephron structure and function. Although the kidney possesses an intrinsic ability to repair damaged tubular epithelium, the efficiency of regeneration depends on tightly coordinated metabolic adaptations that sustain cellular survival and tissue remodeling during periods of limited oxygen availability. Emerging evidence indicates that anaerobic bioenergetics, particularly glycolysis and associated metabolic pathways, serves as a critical energy source that supports nephron repair by maintaining ATP production, preserving cellular integrity, and regulating stress-responsive signaling networks.