In conclusion, our study showed that hUC-MSCs enhanced autophagy in AOPP-treated HK-2 cells mediated by miR-145 via inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which indicated that hUC-MSCs might serve as a prospective therapy for AKI.
Noticeably, the expression levels of miR-24, miR-23a and miR-145 were significantly down-regulated in AMI<sup>+</sup>AKI<sup>+</sup> patients compared to those in AMI<sup>+</sup>AKI<sup>-</sup> patients.