ACE2 and acute kidney injury: These findings are further supported by experimental evidence showing that downregulation of apelin and ACE2 and upregulation of SGLT-2, endothelin-1, and pro-inflammatory cytokines contribute to SARS-CoV-2-mediated cardiorenal injury in post-myocardial infarction heart failure rats, acute kidney injury (AKI), and diabetic mice [56].