Carnosine prevents apoptosis of glomerular cells and podocyte loss in STZ diabetic rats.
Cell Physiol Biochem
; 28(2): 279-88, 2011.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21865735
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
We identified carnosinase-1 (CN-1) as risk-factor for diabetic nephropathy (DN). Carnosine, the substrate for CN-1, supposedly is a protective factor regarding diabetic complications. In this study, we hypothesized that carnosine administration to diabetic rats might protect the kidneys from glomerular apoptosis and podocyte loss.METHODS:
We examined the effect of oral L-carnosine administration (1g/kg BW per day) on apoptosis, podocyte loss, oxidative stress, AGEs and hexosamine pathway in kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats after 3 months of diabetes and treatment.RESULTS:
Hyperglycemia significantly reduced endogenous kidney carnosine levels. In parallel, podocyte numbers significantly decreased (-21% compared to non-diabetics, p<0.05), apoptotic glomerular cells numbers increased (32%, compared to non-diabetic, p<0.05) and protein levels of bax and cytochrome c increased (175% and 117%). Carnosine treatment restored carnosine kidney levels, prevented podocytes loss (+23% compared to diabetic, p<0.05), restrained glomerular apoptosis (-34% compared to diabetic; p<0.05) and reduced expression of bax and cytochrome c (-63% and -54% compared to diabetics, both p<0.05). In kidneys of all diabetic animals, levels of ROS, AGEs and GlcNAc-modified proteins were increased.CONCLUSION:
By inhibition of pro-apoptotic signaling and independent of biochemical abnormalities, carnosine protects diabetic rat kidneys from apoptosis and podocyte loss.
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Carnosine
/
Apoptosis
/
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental
/
Podocytes
/
Kidney Glomerulus
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Year:
2011
Type:
Article