EFFECTS OF RHEIN IN INHIBITING T HE PROGR ESSION OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY IN STZ-IN DUCED DIABETIC RATS
Dai Chunsun, Liu Zhihong, Chen Huip ing, Yang Junwei, Zhou Hong, Li Leishi
Research Institute of Nephrology, Jinlin g Hospital,Nanjing University School of Medicine,Nanjing 210002
OBJECTIVE To investigate rhe in’s long-term effects on the progression of diabetic nephropathy and the metabo lism disturbance in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
METHODOLOGY Diabetes was ind uced with multi-injection of low-dose STZ in Wistar rats. Wistar rats were di vided into three groups, the untreated diabetic control group, rhein treated dia betic group and the normal control group.Ordinary parameters, urine protein exc re tion and histopathology were investigated for 12months after the induction of di abetes.
RESULTS At the 12th month af ter induction of diabetes, body weight of diabetic rats was significantly lower than normal control group,blood pressure and cardiac ventricular weight were sim ilar to those in normal control group,serum creatini ne,cholesterol,and triglyceride were significantly higher in diabetic group.R ats in diabetic group were found to have mild increase in urine protein excretion at the 4th week after induction of diabetes.At the 12th month,there were significant increases in urine protein excretion (65.2±36.4 vs 8.9±4.9mg/24hrs,P<0.01),kidney weight (0.9404±0.0999 vs 0.8177±0.0304g,P<0.05),glomerular and mesangial area in diabetic rats as comp ared to those of normal controls.Comparing to the untreated diabetic rats,the serum glucose concentration was lower in rhein treated diabetic rats during the 12 months after induction of diabetes.Bo dy weight,blood pressure and cardiacven tricular weight were not significantly different among these groups.As compared to those in untreated diabetic rats,urine protein excretion ,kidney weight,glomerular and mesangial area were decre a sed significantly in rhein treated diabe tic rats at the 12th month after indu ction of diabetes. The mRNA content of T GF β1 and GLUT1 were also decreased in rhein treated diabetic rats.
CONCLUSION Rhein can decreas e the urine protein excretion,kidney weight, glomerular area and mesangial ECM deposition in STZ-induced diabetic rats .The mechanism for rhein’s inhibition may be related to its amelioration of the cellular metabolism.
Key words diabetes nephropat hyrhein rats
大黄酸(Rhein,4,5 dihydroxyanthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid)是从大黄蒽醌衍生物中分 离出的一种单体组份[1]。体外实验发现,大黄酸可以抑制高糖培养条件下肾小球系膜细胞细胞外基质合成的增加,对转化生长因子β1(transforming growth factor β1,TGFβ1)所致系膜细胞I型葡萄糖转运蛋白(glucose transport 1,GLUT1)的高表达以及系膜细胞糖摄入的增加也有明显的抑制作用[2]。作者以往的研究结果证实,大黄酸可以抑制STZ诱导糖尿病大鼠初期的肾脏肥大[3],但长期应用大黄酸对糖尿病大 鼠肾脏病变以及机体代谢水平有何影响,目前并不明确。
本研究采用小剂量链脲佐菌素(streptozotocin,STZ)腹腔内多次注射法建立糖尿病鼠模型 。模型建立后经口给予大黄酸治疗一年。观察一年期间大黄酸对糖尿病大鼠肾脏病变及代谢紊乱的影响,并在此基础上对大黄酸治疗糖尿病肾病的可能机制进行了初步的探讨。
1材料和方法
1.1药物大黄酸均从正品掌叶大黄(甘肃省西宁市药材公司)中提取,由本院中心仪器科提供,经HPLC检验药品纯度在90%以上。
1.2实验动物及糖尿病模型建立采用清洁级三月龄雌性Wistar大鼠40只,购自上海动物实验中心。大鼠体重在180~200g之间。实验期间,动物室温控制在25~28℃,湿度70%,12h交替照明。大鼠自由饮水、进食,保持垫料干燥。饲料中蛋白含量为20%,胆固醇含量为3.5%。以小剂量STZ(Sigma公司)腹腔内多次注射法建立糖尿病动物模型,STZ溶于pH4.0枸橼酸缓冲液中,每次药量在10min内用完。以20mg/(kg.d)连续腹腔内给药三次后,减量至10mg/(kg.d)一次,48h后经大鼠眶后静脉丛采血测血糖,以血糖水平高于13.9mmol/L且尿糖阳性作为糖尿病动物模型建立标准。实验期间监测尿酮,个别血糖水平过高者采用适量胰岛素对症处理。
1.3实验分组糖尿病模型建立后,将动物随机分为两组,即A组(糖尿病对照组,n=10),B组(糖尿病治疗组,分别设大黄酸100mg/(kg.d)及25mg(kg.d)两个剂量组,每组n=10)并设C组(正常对照组,n=10)。大黄酸以间隔一月交替灌胃与经饲料给药的方式进行。将大黄酸溶于75%酒精后用生理盐水稀释10倍,制成药物浓度为0.5g/L大黄酸灌胃,或根据大鼠每天的进食量,制成含有不同剂量大黄酸的大鼠饲料,每天喂食。对照组给予等量的生理盐水或饲料。
1.4标本留取
1.4.1普通标本实验开始后,每月称体重,测定进食量,尿量和血糖一次。血标本以玻璃毛细管(直径1.0mm)经大鼠框后静脉丛采取,6h内离心分离血清,于-20℃冰箱保存待测,尿标本采用金属代谢笼(购自苏州动物实验仪器厂)收集,收集时预先将大鼠放入洗净的代谢笼内,二天后开始收集24h尿标本,记录尿量后取5ml,5000r/min离心5min,去除沉渣并于-20℃冰箱保存待测。
1.4.2肾组织病理标本及肾小球分离实验12月时,大鼠经氯胺酮麻醉后,取腹正中切口暴露双肾及腹主动脉,经腹主动脉插管,用冷PBS将双肾充分灌洗后,取左肾经肾门冠状面取组织,石蜡切片,厚4μm,行HE,PAS及PAM染色。并取肾组织于-20℃冰箱保存留做冰冻切片。同时取右肾,去除肾包膜及肾门结缔组织并用生理盐水清洗干净后用电子天平称取右肾重量,并参照文献[4]取右肾及部分左肾分离肾小球。在显微镜下观察,纯度在95%以上。
1.5实验室指标检测
1.5.1一般指标血糖每月检测一次;血生化指标用HITACH-7150自动生化分析仪检测;尿蛋白定量采用考马斯亮兰G-250法;尿肌酐采用碱性苦味酸法;外周血糖化血红蛋白(HbAlC)采用试剂盒(Bio-Rad,USA)。
1.5.2大鼠平均动脉压及心室重量测定实验12月时每组随机取4只大鼠,用氯氨酮50mg/100g与硫喷妥钠5mg/100g联合腹腔注射麻醉后,经右侧股动脉插管,静置15~20min,用二道生理记录仪(上海生理实验仪器厂)记录平均动脉压(MAP);实验12月宰杀大鼠取大鼠心脏,用生理盐水充分洗净心腔内积血,去除
