The expression of urinary circ-ZNF609 was significantly elevated in the kidneys of AKI-heart disease patients after IRI, resulting in the activation of AKT3/mTOR signaling, which in turn leads to autophagy flux impairment and cell apoptosis in vitro in HK-2 cells and in vivo in AKI kidneys (158). Here, MTOR is linked to acute kidney injury.