Long-term administration of Sopungsungi-won (SP) prevents diabetic nephropathy in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.
We investigated the long term effects of Sopungsungi-won (SP), a Korean traditional formula used for senile constipation and diabetes mellitus, on the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. ZDF rats were fed regular laboratory chow mixed with SP or rosiglitazone (RSG) for an 8-week period. Kidney hypertrophy was developed with increasing plasma glucose level, and glomerular hypertrophy was improved by 22% and 45% in SP- and RSG-treated rats, respectively. Urinary glucose and albumin excretions were also significantly lower in SP-treated rats than in ZDF control rats. Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF beta1)-fibronectin pathway in kidney, responsible for glomerular dysfunction, was markedly blunted by SP treatment in a dose dependent manner. Our findings, for the first time, provide strong evidence that long-term administration of SP formula prevents the development and progression of DN in ZDF rats. Human trials are needed to confirm these experimental results.
Kim
Youn Young
YY
Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
Kang
Kwi Man
KM
Chung
Sung Hyun
SH
D000818:Animals; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008518:Medicine, East Asian Traditional; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases