Similar patterns of Nrf2 expression under high glucose and oxidative stress circumstances were observed in many other studies such as the glomeruli of human diabetic nephropathy patients29, renal proximal tubule cells under high glucose level in vitro30, the brain tissue of type 1 diabetic rats31 and the aorta of genetic type 1 diabetic OVE26 mouse model32. Here, NFE2L2 is linked to diabetic kidney disease.