The potential effects of dietary flavones on diabetic nephropathy; a review of mechanisms

Abstract

Diabetes as a chronic metabolic disorder affects the worldwide population with high incidence of morbidity and mortality. Different complications such as nephropathy, neuropathy, ocular diseases, and cardiovascular disease are common in patients with diabetes that threaten the patient’s lifestyle. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) usually is related to some major structural alterations in the kidney which characterized by generation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) or inhibition of antioxidant systems in kidney tissue. Different natural agents have been introduced to be used as a complementary treatment to prevent diabetic kidney disease. Flavones (apigenin, luteolin, nobiletin and chrysin) as a subgroup of flavonoids are natural occurring substances which have several pharmacological activates, including antioxidant, antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor efficacy. Recent evidence indicated that flavones may be effective for prevention and treatment of diabetes complications in experimental models. The present study was designed to review the relationship between flavones administration and diabetes and diabetic kidney disease by focusing on the possible molecular pathway. The findings indicate that flavones have protective effects against diabetic kidney disease by modulation of different pathways related to oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in animal models. Therefore, more clinical investigations are suggested to be conducted to find the protective effects of flavones in patients with diabetes.