Combination therapy with spironolactone and candesartan protects against streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats.
Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common causes of end-stage kidney disease. Aldosterone and angiotensin II appear to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of this disease. The present study aimed to investigate effects of the combination therapy with spironolactone and candesartan on diabetic nephropathy and elucidate the underlying mechanism(s) involved. Diabetes was induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (55 mg/kg). The diabetic rats were orally treated with spironolactone (50 mg/kg/day) and/or candesartan (1 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. Administration of STZ caused a marked elevation in the serum level of creatinine, urea and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR). This was associated with upregulated renal protein levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) alongside increasing the renal superoxide anion (O2(-)) production, malondialdehyde (MDA) level and the systolic blood pressure. There was a marked decrease in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and antioxidant enzyme capacity. The combined therapy of spironolactone and candesartan significantly normalized the oxidative stress and fibrotic/inflammatory alterations. Additionally, the elevated blood pressure was attenuated by administration of candesartan alone or in combination. This was associated with improving the renal function parameters. The combined therapy exhibited more profound response compared to the monotherapy. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the combined therapy of spironolactone and candesartan can confer an additive benefit over the use of either drug alone against STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy, presumably via attenuating the inflammatory responses and oxidative status markers.
Hofni A
,El-Moselhy MA
,Taye A
,Khalifa MM
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Combination therapy with losartan and L-carnitine protects against endothelial dysfunction of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Endothelial dysfunction is a critical factor during the initiation of diabetic cardiovascular complications and angiotensin II appears to play a pivotal role in this setting. The present study aimed to investigate whether the combination therapy with losartan and the nutritional supplement, L-carnitine can provide an additional protection against diabetes-associated endothelial dysfunction and elucidate the possible mechanism(s) underlying this effect. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg) in rat. Effects of losartan (20 mg/kg, orally, 3 months) and L-carnitine (200 mg/kg, orally, 3 months) on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, oxidative stress parameters, endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression (eNOS), and vascular function were evaluated. Our results showed a marked increase in aortic superoxide anion (O2(-)) production and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level alongside attenuating antioxidant enzyme capacities in diabetic rats. This was associated with a significant increase in anigiotensin II type 1 receptor gene expression and TNF-α serum level of diabetic rats alongside reducing aortic eNOS gene expression and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. The single or combined administration of losartan and L-carnitine significantly inhibited these changes. Additionally, the vascular endothelium-dependent relaxation with acetylcholine (ACh) in aortic diabetic rat was significantly ameliorated by the single and combined administration of losartan or L-carnitine. Noteworthy, the combination therapy exhibited a more profound response over the monotherapy. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the combined therapy of losartan and L-carnitine affords additive beneficial effects against diabetes-associated endothelial dysfunction, possibly via normalizing the dysregulated eNOS and reducing the inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetic rats.
Sleem M
,Taye A
,El-Moselhy MA
,Mangoura SA
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Combination of aspirin with telmisartan suppresses the augmented TGFbeta/smad signaling during the development of streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic nephropathy.
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common indication for the development of end stage renal diseases. Inflammation is increasingly seen as the core process in the development of diabetes. Inflammatory markers e.g. NFkappaB (p65 levels), TNFalpha, COX-2 and TGFbeta-smad signaling are the key elements in the development of DN. Renin-angiotensin system suppressors like telmisartan have been used to treat DN, but they are not able to prevent completely because of development of resistance against them. Anti-inflammatory agents like, aspirin acts through both COX dependent and COX independent pathways. Hence, we thought that combining aspirin with telmisartan will be better therapeutic option in preventing the progression of nephropathy in diabetes. In the present study we studied the effect of this combination on inflammatory markers [COX-2, NFkappaB (p65 levels), TNFalpha], TGFbeta-smad expression in preventing the progression of streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic nephropathy. Treatment of aspirin significantly prevented the progression of nephropathy and inhibited the augmented COX-2, NFkappaB (p65 levels), TNFalpha, and TGFbeta-smad expression. Combination of aspirin with telmisartan resulted in a further decrease in the development of nephropathy and inflammatory markers in comparison to aspirin alone treatment. This is the first report which shows that aspirin in combination with telmisartan is more proficient in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy than any single drug therapy and involves the change in expression of inflammatory markers and TGFbeta-smad signaling.
Mulay SR
,Gaikwad AB
,Tikoo K
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Renoprotective effect of Hypericum perforatum against diabetic nephropathy in rats: Insights in the underlying mechanisms.
Oxidative stress and inflammation play a key role in the initiation and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of hypericum perforatum (HP) against DN. Rats were allocated into six groups: control, received normal saline; diabetic untreated (DM), received single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) after injection of nicotinamide (NA); gliclazide, received STZ,NA + gliclazide (10 mg/kg); DM + HP50, DM + HP100, DM + HP200, received STZ,NA and HP 50, 100, 200 mg/kg, respectively. Gliclazide and HP were administered daily via gavage for 8 weeks. Serum glucose, insulin, kidney function and histopathological picture were assessed. Furthermore, oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammatory cytokines, apoptotic and fibrotic markers were measured. Diabetic untreated group showed increase in serum glucose, urea, creatinine with albuminurea. Renal expression of protein for nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-кB), renal expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase II (COXII), collagen IV, fibronectin were elevated. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), monocellular chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumour growth factor- β (TGF-β), caspase-3 and cytochrome c contents were also increased consequently with decline of serum insulin, expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ), renal reduced glutathione (GSH) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Treatment with either gliclazide or HP mitigated the deleterious effects of STZ on the tested parameters. These findings indicate for the first time that HP may have a renoprotective effect against DN through reduction of oxidative/nitrosative stress, enhancement of antioxidant defense mechanisms, decline of inflammatory cytokines, antifibrotic, antiapoptotic and blood glucose lowering properties.
Abd El Motteleb DM
,Abd El Aleem DI
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