TNF and acute kidney injury: For example, miR-107 induces TNF-α secretion by targeting bispecific phosphatase 7 (DUSP7) in endothelial cells, inducing renal tubular cell damage in septic AKI [10]; miR-21 inhibits the inflammatory response and apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells by stimulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway, improves AKI induced by I/R [11], and inhibits apoptosis of AKI renal cells induced by sepsis through the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway [12].