AHR and diabetic kidney disease: In addition, hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance induced by STZ, a well-known experimental inducer of hyperglycemia, were attenuated in AhR knockout, which was associated with lower expression of cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in the kidneys under diabetic conditions, implicating the critical role of AhR in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy [149].