title: Ursolic acid inhibits early lesions of diabetic nephropathy.
abstract: The present study sought to investigate the effects of ursolic acid (UA) on the development of glomerular hypertrophy and type IV collagen accumulation, two early lesions associated with diabetic nephropathy (DN). By treating streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice with low-dose UA (0.01% in food) for three months, the diabetes-induced glomerular hypertrophy and type IV collagen accumulation in the kidneys were found to be markedly ameliorated. Further studies identified that UA treatment suppressed diabetes-induced activations of STAT-3, ERK1/2 and JNK pathways, but not the diabetes-induced activation of the p38 pathway. Furthermore, diabetes-induced overexpression of iNOS in the renal cortex was also significantly suppressed by the treatment. UA may thus be considered as a potential therapeutic agent in treating DN.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jian-Shuang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ya-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D014315:Triterpenes; D000097245:Ursolic Acid