Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the nephroprotective effects of fangchinoline in rats
with diabetic nephropathy (DN). DN was induced by feeding a high-fat diet for 4
weeks and administering a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ)
(30 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. The rats were split into groups;
one group received oral fangchinoline (3 mg/kg) per day for 8
weeks. After completion of the 8-week study period, biomedical and inflammatory
markers were evaluated in serum and urine, and oxidative stress was estimated in
kidney tissues. In addition, Western blot assays, reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemical analyses were
performed in the kidney tissues of DN rats. The results suggest that treatment
with fangchinoline attenuated the biochemical marker changes induced by DN in
blood and urine. Moreover, a significant (p<0.01) reduction in
inflammatory markers in serum was found in the fangchinoline group compared to
the controls. Immunohistochemical analyses also revealed that treatment with
fangchinoline significantly reduced the expression of collagen IV and CD31 in
the kidneys compared to the control group. The expression of p38 MAPK,
TNF-α, COX-2, and MMP-9 was also attenuated by fangchinoline treatment
in the kidney tissues of DN rats. Together, the results of this study suggest
that fangchinoline protects against nephron damage by attenuating alterations in
the p38 MAPK pathway, thereby reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in DN
rats.
Key words
fangchinoline - diabetic nephropathy - MAPK - inflammatory mediators - STZ
