title: An aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea ameliorates diabetic nephropathy through suppression of renal fibrosis and inflammation in diabetic db/db mice.
abstract: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. In the present study, we investigated the renoprotective effect of the aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea (AP) on diabetic nephropathy accelerated by renal fibrosis and inflammation in type 2 diabetic db/db mice. The mice were treated with AP (300 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for ten weeks to examine the long-term effects on diabetic nephropathy and renal dysfunction. We found that AP treatment markedly lowered blood glucose to 412 ± 11.4 mg/dl and plasma creatinine level to 2.3 ± 0.8 mg/dl compared to db/db mice (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively). This study also showed that treatment with AP significantly decreased water intake and urine volume in diabetic db/db mice (p < 0.05). In immunohistological study, the renal expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), advanced glycation end products (AGE), and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 markedly increased in the renal cortex of untreated db/db mice (p < 0.01). In contrast, AP treatment significantly reduced these expressions to 50 ± 2.1%, 48 ± 2.8%, 61 ± 1.1%, respectively (p < 0.01). Furthermore, NF-κB p65 activation in renal tissues markedly increased in untreated db/db mice, which was significantly suppressed by AP treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest that AP attenuates diabetic nephropathy through inhibition of renal fibrosis and inflammation in db/db mice.
authors: College of Oriental Medicine and Professional Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea.
authors: An Sook
authors: AS
authors: Lee
authors: Yun Jung
authors: YJ
authors: Lee
authors: So Min
authors: SM
authors: Lee
authors: Jung Joo
authors: JJ
authors: Yoon
authors: Jin Sook
authors: JS
authors: Kim
authors: Dae Gill
authors: DG
authors: Kang
authors: Ho Sub
authors: HS
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009400:Nephrosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D031822:Portulaca; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014554:Urination / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D010936:Plant Extracts; C498144:Rela protein, mouse; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D003404:Creatinine