[Volatile oil of Magnolia biondii inhibits expressions of P-selectin protein in serum and renal tissue of rats with diabetic nephropathy]

Vardenafil and cilostazol can improve vascular reactivity in rats with diabetes mellitus and rheumatoid arthritis co-morbidity

Endothelial dysfunction and vascular reactivity defects secondary to metabolic and immunological disorders carry risk of serious cardiovascular complications. Here, the effects of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors vardenafil and cilostazol were examined against rheumatoid arthritis (RA)/diabetes mellitus (DM)-co-morbidity-induced endothelial dysfunction and vascular reactivity defects. After setting of RA/DM-co-morbidity model, rats were divided into a normal control group, an RA/DM-co-morbidity group, and two treatment groups receiving oral vardenafil (10 mg/kg/day) and cilostazol (30 mg/kg/day) for 21 days after RA/DM-co-morbidity induction. Aorta was isolated for biochemical estimations of the pro-inflammatory vasoconstrictor molecules angiotensin-II (Ang-II) and endothelin-1 (ET-1), the adhesion molecules P-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), the energy sensor adenosine-5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and the vasodilator anti-inflammatory molecule vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot analysis. Immunohistochemical estimations of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 were performed coupled with histopathological examination using routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and special Masson trichrome staining. The in vitro study was conducted using aortic strips where cumulative concentration response curves were done for the endothelium-dependent relaxing factor acetylcholine and the endothelium-independent relaxing factor sodium nitroprusside after submaximal contraction with phenylephrine. Vardenafil and cilostazol significantly improved endothelial integrity biomarkers in vivo supported with histopathological findings in addition to improved vasorelaxation in vitro. Apart from their known PDE inhibition, up-regulation of vascular AMPK and eNOS coupled with down-regulation of Ang-II, ET-1, P-selectin, VCAM-1 and MMP-2 may explain vardenafil and cilostazol protective effect against RA/DM-co-morbidity-induced endothelial dysfunction and vascular reactivity defects.

Review of Herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most serious chronic complications of diabetes; 20-40% of diabetic patients develop into end stage renal disease (ESRD). However, exact pathogenesis of DN is not fully clear and we have great difficulties in curing DN; poor treatment of DN led to high chances of mortality worldwide. A lot of western medicines such as ACEI and ARB have been demonstrated to protect renal function of DN but are not enough to delay or retard the progression of DN; therefore, exploring exact and feasible drug is current research hotspot in medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used to treat and control diabetes and its complications such as DN in a lot of scientific researches, which will give insights into the mechanism of DN, but they are not enough to reveal all the details. In this paper, we summarize the applications of herbal TCM preparations, single herbal TCM, and/or monomers from herbal TCM in the treatment of DN in the recent 10 years, depicting the renal protective effects and the corresponding mechanism, through which we shed light on the renal protective roles of TCM in DN with a particular focus on the molecular basis of the effect and provide a beneficial supplement to the drug therapy for DN.

Effects of magnoline on P-selectin's expression in diabetic rats and its reno-protection

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Magnoline is an active ingredient of magnolia fargesii with anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet effects. The objective is to explore the renoprotection of magnoline in diabetic rats and its effects on P-selectin.

METHODS

Thirty-six rats were randomized into 4 groups-normal control group (C), diabetic group (D), small-dose magnoline treatment group (M1) and large-dose magnoline treatment group (M2) (n=9 in each group). Streptozotocin was selected to construct diabetic rat model, and group M1 and group M2 were treated with magnoline 0.5mg/Kg.d and 2mg/Kg.d respectively. Urinary albumin excretion rate, renal function, levels of P-selectin and TGF-β1 were observed after 16 weeks.

RESULTS

Levels of albuminuria and serum creatinine of group M1 (1078.9 ± 77.3μg/24h, 29.7 ± 3.9μmol/L) and M2 (852.9 ± 80.1μg/24h, 30.9 ± 2.9μmol/L) were lower than group D (1572.8 ± 176.2μg/24h, 39.4 ± 4.1μmol/L) (P <0.05). Serum levels of P-selectin in group M1 and M2 were lower than group D (P <0.05). The renal expression of P-selectin and TGF-β1 in group M1 and M2 were significantly attenuated respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Magnoline has reno-protective effects on diabetic rats which may be related to the inhibition of P-selectin.