Clinical study of total glucosides of paeony for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

Total glucosides of paeony (TGP), an active compound extracted from dried roots of Paeonia lactiflora Pall, have anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of TGP for treating diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. An open-label, prospective, randomized, parallel-group, single-site study involving 76 patients with DKD. Patients were randomized into two groups: losartan group (n=38), treated with losartan 100mg/day for 6months and TGP group (n=38), treated with TGP 1800mg/day and losartan 100mg/day for 6months. Serum hs-CRP, MCP-1, and TNF-α were determined before and after treatment. Urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, and lipid profiles were examined. At the end-point, UAER decreased in the TGP group compared with baseline. UAER in the losartan group decreased to a level lower than before treatment. The rate of decline in the losartan group was significantly lower than the TGP group. There were no significant differences in serum creatinine and albumin levels between TGP and losartan groups at the end-point. Serum hs-CRP, MCP-1, and TNF-α levels were significantly lower in both groups after treatment. After treatment, serum hs-CRP, MCP-1, and TNF-α in the TGP group decreased more than the losartan group. Positive correlations were observed between UAER and hs-CRP, MCP-1, and TNF-α. No statistically significant difference in side effects was observed between groups. Our study showed that TGP treatment could reduce the albuminuria and inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with DKD.