Abstract
In traditional Yemeni medicine, various preparations of Loranthus regularis (L. regularis), such as powder, decoctions and infusions are commonly used to treat diabetes, kidney stone formations and inflammation. In the present study, we evaluated the antinephrotoxic effects of L. regularis extract in experimentally-induced diabetes in male Wistar rats. A single dose (60 mg/kg/day) of Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce type 1 diabetes. Animals were then treated for four weeks with L. regularis extract (150 or 300 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage. Renal and blood samples were subsequently harvested. Several biochemical indices, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers were assessed. Additionally, histological alterations in the renal tissue were examined. Serum glucose levels were significantly (p < 0.01) lowered while insulin levels were enhanced in L. regularis-treated diabetic animals. The increased renal markers in diabetic rats were decreased by L. regularis treatment. Serum elevated lipid profiles were markedly decreased by the plant extract. The serum and renal cytokines that were significantly increased (p < 0.001) by STZ were diminished by L. regularis treatment. Finally, renal tissue antioxidant enzymatic activity was enhanced with L. regularis treatment. Taken together, the data here indicate that L. regularis possesses therapeutic ability to reduce the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) by minimizing oxidative injury and inflammation.
Highlights
High taken dose (300 mg/kg/day) of L. regularis treatment significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced the serum insulin levels compared to STZ group
These increased serum creatinine levels were markedly reduced by treatment with L. regularis (150 or 300 mg/kg/day) in diabetic rats compared to the vehicle- and STZ-treated group (p < 0.05)
L. regularis has been used in the management of many diseases such as diabetes, nephrolithiasis and inflammatory diseases [24,26], little is known about its impact in diabetic nephropathy (DN)
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Diabetes represents a massive health issue worldwide whose prevalence has only increased over the last decade, in developing countries [1]. Chronic diabetes results in numerous complications, including nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy [2,3,4]. The incidence of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 1 diabetes was about 15–25%, contributing to complications and a high mortality rate [5]. One important pathophysiological feature in DN is oxidative stress, which can be caused by hyperglycemia and involves the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [6,7]
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