L-Arginine Attenuates Diabetic Nephropathy In Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Oxidative stress is widely recognized as a key component in the development and progression of diabetic complications, such as diabetic nephropathy (DN). The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dietary L-arginine supplementation as a potentially novel and useful strategy for the management of oxidative stress implicated in diabetic nephropathy. Control rats, streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats, and STZ-induced diabetic rats treated with L-arginine (1.51%)in drinking water were sacrificed after 4 weeks. Results have shown that L-arginine was able to ameliorate the oxidative stress imposed by diabetes as reflected by the significant decrease in elevated plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), and renal malondialdehyde(MDA)level and glutathione-S-transferase(GST) activity. In addition, significant increase in reduced activities of plasma lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) and renal glutathione reductase(GR) were observed. On the other hand, no significant change was detected in body weight, kidney weight and relative kidney weight, levels of plasma fructosamine, MDA and NOx, renal activities of glutathione peroxidase(GPx),superoxide dismutase(SOD), LDH, aldose reductase(AR),sorbitol dehydrogenase(SDH), levels of renal glutathione(GSH) and NOx in the diabetic group treated with L-arginine. It can be concluded that L-arginine supplementation may become a promising solution to reduce lipid peroxidation and improve associated complications in diabetes. Keywords: Diabetic nephropathy- L-arginine- Reactive oxygen species-Malondialdehyde-Nitric oxide-Rat. Egyptian Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 26 (1) 2008 pp. 1-22