bioRxiv2026
BackgroundFine particulate matter (PM2.5), airborne particles with an aerodynamic diameter [≤]2.5 m that can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the circulation, is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) with long-term exposure. We previously demonstrated that high-dose PM2.5 exposure prior to ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) aggravates acute kidney injury (AKI). Here, we investigated how prolonged, low-concentration urban PM2.5 exposure (<15 {micro}g/m3) affects kidney repair after AKI. MethodsSix-week-old mice underwent bilateral IRI or sham surgery, followed by six months of exposure to either filtered air or ambient PM2.5 exposure in a unique exposome chamber. Kidneys were analyzed using pathomics, electron and super-resolution microscopy, immunohistochemistry, transcriptomics, and LC-MS lipidomics/metabolomics. Complementary in vitro hypoxia-reoxygenation and PM2.5 exposure experiments were performed in proximal tubular epithelial cells. ResultsLong-term PM2.5 exposure had minimal effects in sham-operated mice, including no significant changes in body weight or kidney function. Despite preserved kidney function, IRI+PM2.5 mice exhibited reduced weight gain, a marked expansion of the interstitial area, attributable to enhanced fibrosis and inflammatory responses, microvascular rarefaction, and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, consistent with maladaptive repair features. Proximal tubules displayed mitochondrial injury, glycolytic reprogramming, lipid accumulation, and a senescent phenotype. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) microscopy confirmed PM2.5-derived elements within proximal tubules lysosomes, accompanied by lysosomal stress. Transcriptional signature-based drug screening identified nicotinamide as a compound capable of reversing PM2.5-induced metabolic alterations; in vitro validation confirmed restoration of mitochondrial function. ConclusionsTogether, these findings show that chronic post-AKI exposure to PM2.5 at levels currently considered safe by regulatory bodies drives maladaptive repair and accelerates CKD progression through mitochondrial dysfunction, lysosomal stress senescence in proximal tubules, due to local PM2.5 element accumulation. Translational StatementAcute kidney injury frequently progresses to chronic kidney disease due to maladaptive repair, yet environmental drivers of this transition remain underrecognized. Using a controlled exposome chamber, we demonstrate that chronic exposure to low, real-world concentrations of urban PM2.5 during post-ischemic recovery results in the accumulation of PM2.5-derived elements within proximal tubular lysosomes, leading to organelle dysfunction, metabolic reprogramming, lipid accumulation, and a senescence-like phenotype. Importantly, transcriptomics-based drug repurposing identified nicotinamide as a candidate compound capable of reversing metabolic dysfunction in injured proximal tubular cells subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation and PM2.5 exposure, an effect validated in vitro.