title: Nephro-protective effects of a ginger extract on cytosolic and mitochondrial enzymes against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic complications in rats.
abstract: Diabetes is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels and disturbed homeostasis of metabolic enzymes in whole-body. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ginger administration on altered blood glucose levels, intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes and tissue injuries in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Wistar strain rats (n = 30) were equally divided into 5 groups: normal control (NC), ginger treated (Gt, 200 mg/kg b.w. orally/30 days), diabetic control (DC, 50 mg/kg b.w.), diabetic plus ginger treated (D + Gt) and diabetic plus glibenclamide treated (D + Gli) groups. We found highly elevated blood glucose levels in the diabetic group, and the glucose levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lowered by ginger administration. Activities of intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased in the kidneys of the diabetic rats, while this was significantly reversed by 30 days of ginger treatment. We also observed consistent renal tissue damages in the diabetic rats; however, these injuries recovered in the ginger-treated diabetic rats as shown in histopathological studies. In this study, we demonstrated that an ethanolic extract of ginger could lower the blood glucose levels as well as improve activities of intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes in diabetic rats. Our results suggest that ginger extracts could be used as a nephro-protective supplement particularly to reverse diabetic-induced complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati-517502, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Shanmugam Kondeti
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ramudu
authors.forename: Mallikarjuna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korivi
authors.forename: Nishanth
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kesireddy
authors.forename: Li-Chen
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: I-Shiung
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chia-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Sathyavelu Reddy
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kesireddy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003600:Cytosol / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020939:Zingiber officinale; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D010936:Plant Extracts