The wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway participates in rhein ameliorating kidney injury in DN mice.
The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and kidney impairment in diabetic nephropathy (DN) mice as well as the renoprotective effect of rhein (RH). Mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6): db/db mice treated with RH (DN + RH), db/db mice (DN), db/m mice treated with RH (NC + RH) and db/m mice (NC). RH-treated groups were administered orally at a daily dose 120 mg/kg. Mice were sacrificed after 12 weeks of treatments. In our study, increased albuminuria, together with weight gain and hyperglycemia was observed in the beginning of the study and continued to increase throughout the length of the study (12 weeks). Histopathologic changes were observed in the DN group. Expectedly, mice receiving the treatment with RH were protected from this injury. Meanwhile, the expression of nephrin, a podocyte-specific marker, was significantly reduced while wnt1, p-GSK-3β/tGSK-3β, p-β-catenin/tβ-catenin were higher in the DN group mice when analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. RH reversed these above changes. wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway participates in RH ameliorating kidney injury in DN mice. The manipulation of RH might act as a promising therapeutic intervention for DN.
Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China. duansuyan_009@163.com.
Suyan
S
Duan
Department of Rheumatology, The Wuxi 4th People's Hospital (The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University), 200 Huihe Road, Wuxi, 214062, Jiangsu, China.
Yingyi
Y
Wu
Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Chuanyan
C
Zhao
Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Mingyu
M
Chen
Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Yanggang
Y
Yuan
Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China.
Changying
C
Xing
Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, China. zhangbo2003@medmail.com.cn.
Bo
B
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
D000880:Anthraquinones; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin; C113267:nephrin; C020491:rhein
Diabetic nephropathy; Rhein; db/db mice; wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway