title: Delayed treatment with lithospermate B attenuates experimental diabetic renal injury.
abstract: Extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in the glomerular mesangium is a characteristic feature of diabetic nephropathy. While transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is the final mediator of ECM accumulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein kinase C (PKC) are the upstream signaling molecules that mediate hyperglycemia-induced ECM expansion. Magnesium lithospermate B (LAB) is an active component isolated from Salvia miltiorrhizae with known renoprotective properties due to its antioxidative effects. Thus, the present study examined the effects of LAB on renal injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (STZR) and on the activation of mesangial cells cultured under high glucose conditions. Ten micrtograms of LAB/kg per day was started 8 wk after streptozotocin injection and continued for a period of 8 wk. It significantly suppressed renal malondialdehyde (MDA), microalbuminuria, glomerular hypertrophy, mesangial expansion, and the upregulation of renal TGF-beta1, fibronectin, and collagen in STZR without significantly affecting plasma glucose. Both 30 mM of glucose and 100 uM of H(2)O(2) significantly increased TGF-beta1 and fibronectin protein secretion by mesangial cells. LAB at 10 micro g/ml inhibited high glucose- and H(2)O(2)-induced TGF-beta1 and fibronectin secretion. LAB also inhibited glucose-induced intracellular ROS generation and PKC activation in mesangial cells, but it did not directly inhibit PKC activity at dosages that inhibited ROS generation. The in vitro data of this study show that LAB inhibits ROS generation leading to PKC activation and TGF-beta1 and fibronectin upregulation in mesangial cells cultured under high glucose conditions. Moreover, delayed treatment with LAB was found to significantly suppress the progression of renal injury in STZR. LAB may become a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Yonsei University, College of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Geun Taek
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hunjoo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Mankil
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hari
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Soon Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Bong Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Hyun Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005353:Fibronectins; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D016877:Oxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C061091:lithospermate B; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D005947:Glucose