Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major metabolic disease endangering global health, with diabetic nephropathy (DN) as a primary complication lacking curative therapy. Sporoderm-broken spores of Ganoderma lucidum (GLP), an herbal medicine, has been used for the treatment of metabolic disorders. In this study, DN was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using streptozotocin (STZ) and a high-fat diet (HFD), and the protective mechanisms of GLP were investigated through transcriptomic, metabolomic, and network pharmacology (NP) analyses. Our results demonstrated that GLP intervention ameliorated renal damage and inflammation levels in DN rats. Integrative metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that GLP treatment modulated glucose and cellular energy metabolisms by regulating relevant genes. GLP significantly suppressed the inflammations by impacting glucose and energy metabolism-related gene expression (Igfbp1 and Angptl4) and enhanced metabolic biomarkers of 4-Aminocatechol. In addition, NP analysis further indicated that GLP may efficiently alleviate DN via immune-related pathways. In conclusion, this study provides supportive evidence of the anti-inflammatory effects of GLP supplements, highlighting their potential for promising clinical applications in treating DN.

The purpose of this investigation was to develop Pluronic F-127 coated N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles(F-S NPs)of insulin as the model drug and asses their penetration of the mucosal barriers. Single factor screening was used to optimize the formulations of nanoparticles and the nanoparticles were characterized. Their particle size, Zeta potential, encapsulation efficiencies and drug loading were assayed to be(240. 6±6. 51)nm, (10. 42±1. 60)mV, (43. 39±2. 83)% and(3. 39±0. 57)%, respectively. The impact of PF-127 on mucin binding in vitro and nanoparticles′s transport in freshly obtained mucus were also evaluated. The mucin affinity of F-S NPs was significantly reduced when compared to that of the N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles(S NPs), i. e. , 28% of the latter. And F-S NPs was found to have an improved mucosal penetrating capability. Mucus-secreting HT29-MTX-E12(E12)cell monolayer was selected to investigate their cellular uptake. F-S NPs exhibited higher penetration coefficient than both free insulin and S NPs in mucus-secreting epithelium cells, i. e. , 16-fold and 1. 4-fold, respectively. Data suggest that F-S NPs be potential carriers to cross mucosal barriers and enhance the cellular uptake of insulin.