Protective effect of Tongluo recipe on diabetic nephropathy and its mechanism
- Author:
Yan LIU
1
Author Information
1. Department of Endocrinology
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Diabetic nephropathies;
Melatonin;
Oxidative stress;
Tongluo recipe
- From:
Academic Journal of Second Military Medical University
2010;28(3):281-285
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective: To study the protective effect of Tongluo recipe on renal function of rats with diabetic nephropathy and its influence on the oxidative stress and antioxidative system in renal cortex. Methods: Diabetes mellitus was induced in male SD rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). Rats with a blood glucose level ≥16.7 mmol/L after 3 days were taken as diabetic rats. Twenty-one diabetic rats were evenly randomized into 3 groups, namely, untreated diabetic control (DM group), Tongluo recipe gavaged (1g · kg-1 · d-1 for 12 weeks, TLR group), and melatonin gavaged (5 mg · kg-1 · d-1 for 12 weeks, MEL group) groups; normal rats were taken as normal control (NC group). The treatments were started 3 days after streptozotocin injection and continued for 12 weeks. Kidney cortex was collected under anesthesia for electron microscopic observation; the kidney homogenates were prepared to determine the renal anti-oxidant enzyme (SOD, GSH-Px) activities and lipid proxide (MDA) levels by chromatometry. Results: Compared with NC group, rats in DM group had a higher 24 hour-urinary protein excretion (P<0.01), while those in TLR group and MEL group were significantly lower than that of DM group (P<0.01). Electron microscopic results showed that the mesangial cells and endothelial cells in DM group were swollen and had fusion /disappearance of podocytic process, increased mesenteric matrix, uneven basal membrane, and increased mitochondria with morphological disorders; while the above changes were improved in TLR and MEL group. GSH-Px and SOD activities were lower and MDA levels were higher in renal cortex of DM group than those of NC(P<0.05); treatment with Tongluo recipe and melatonin slightly increased SOD and GSH-Px activities and decreased MDA levels, with the level in MEL group significantly lower than that of DM group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Tongluo recipe can protect the renal function of diabetic rats by lowering urinary protein excretion and improving the structure of glomerular basement membrane, but it can only slightly decrease MDA level in the renal cortex, showing an unclear anti-oxidative effect.
