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ResearchIn-Press PreviewNephrology Open Access | 10.1172/jci.insight.205034

Lactate controls glomerular endothelial barrier integrity in lupus nephritis

Jiaxin Lei,1 Xingyu Zhai,1 Yixin Wang,1 Ying Li,1 Lei Li,2 Mengdi Liu,1 Jing Guo,1 Lingyi Li,1 Zhezhuyun Chen,3 Qinghua Cao,4 Zhichun Liu,2 Ting Liu,5 Lin Xu,6 and Zhenke Wen1

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Lei, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Zhai, X. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Wang, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Li, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Li, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Liu, M. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Guo, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Li, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Chen, Z. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Cao, Q. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Liu, Z. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Liu, T. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Xu, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

2Department of Rheumatology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

3School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom

4Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, St Leonards, Australia

5Department of Rheumatology, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China

6Department of Immunology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China

Find articles by Wen, Z. in: PubMed | Google Scholar |

Published August 18, 2026 - More info

JCI Insight. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.205034.
Copyright © 2026, Lei et al. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Published August 18, 2026 - Version history
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Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a progressive autoimmune disease that affects multiple organs and tissues, with lupus nephritis (LN) as one of its most severe complications. While LN progression is associated with compromised permeability of human renal glomerular endothelial cells (HRGECs), the underlying mechanisms are not fully defined. Herein, we demonstrate that aberrant glycolysis drives this glomerular endothelial barrier defect by suppressing the transcription of tight junction (TJ) genes. Mechanistically, circulating self-DNA in SLE plasma acts as a ligand that activates the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway in HRGECs, driving aberrant glycolytic adaption. The resulting glycolytic product, lactate, serves as a substrate for protein lactylation, leading to extensive lactylation and subsequent ubiquitination of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). In consequence, EZH2 deficiency results in reduced H3K27me3 levels, thereby suppressing the transcription of TJ genes. In a self-DNA-induced SLE model, inhibition of cGAS-STING signaling or lactate production effectively restored the integrity of TJs of HRGECs and concurrently alleviated key LN symptoms. Together, lactate programs lactylation and ubiquitination of EZH2 to impair glomerular endothelial barrier in human SLE.

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