RNA isolation and RT-qPCR.

Total RNA was extracted from cells or mouse kidney tissues using RNAprep pure Kit (Tiangen Biotech). Primers used for mRNA detection are listed in Table 3. RNA concentration was determined by NanoDrop 1000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific), and 2 μg RNA was reverse-transcribed into cDNA with High-Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription Kits (Applied Biosystems, Thermo Fisher Scientific). The RT-qPCR analysis was performed with Applied Biosystems 7500 Real-Time PCR System (Thermo Fisher Scientific) using SYBR Green Master Mix (Applied Biosystems, Thermo Fisher Scientific). Relative gene expression was normalized with β-actin for humans and 18s for mice and compared with control groups.