title: [Study on the protective effect of ursolic acid on alloxan-induced diabetic renal injury and its underlying mechanisms].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on the alloxan-induced kidney injury in diabetic mice and explored its possible mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes mellitus was induced in male Kunming mice by an injection of alloxan (70 mg/kg, i.v.). After 72 hours, blood glucose levels were detected and mice with blood glucose levels over 13.9 mmol/L were considered as diabetic and selected for further experiment. Thirty mice were randomly divided into three groups: control, diabetic and diabetic + UA(35 mg/kg/d, i.g. continuously for 8 weeks). Blood glucose concentration, organ coefficient of kidney, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) as well as renal tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined. Pathology of the renal tissue was measured by hematoxylin-eosin staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the control group, blood glucose, organ coefficient of kidney, BUN and Cr increased significantly. In addition, SOD activities was reduced markedly and levels of MDA and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6) increased significantly. Renal cells from model group rats showed atrophy and disordered after HE staining and infiltration of inflammatory cells also appeared in renal tissue of the model group. These changes were significantly attenuated in the diabetic group treated with UA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UA can significantly relieve renal damage in mice with diabetic nephropathy induced by alloxan, which might be related to decreased blood glucose level, antioxidation effect and inhibiting the production of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6.
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China. qiminyou@163.com
authors.forename: Min-You
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Jun-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ding-Yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000496:Alloxan / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D000097245:Ursolic Acid
chemical_list: D000496:Alloxan; D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D003404:Creatinine; D015850:Interleukin-6; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D014315:Triterpenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000097245:Ursolic Acid