Renoprotective effects of telmisartan on renal injury in obese Zucker rats

• Published in: Acta diabetologica Vol. 49; no. Suppl 1; pp. 15 - 24
• Main Authors: Ohmura, T., Tsunenari, I., Seidler, R., Chachin, M., Hayashi, T., Konomi, A., Matsumaru, T., Sumida, T., Hayashi, N., Horie, Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.12.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Albuminuria - drug therapy; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers - administration & dosage; Animals; Antagonist drugs; Benzimidazoles - administration & dosage; Benzoates - administration & dosage; Cholesterol - metabolism; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetic Nephropathies - drug therapy; Diabetic Nephropathies - metabolism; Diabetic Nephropathies - prevention & control; Diabetic neuropathy; Disease prevention; Humans; Internal Medicine; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney diseases; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Obesity; Original Article; Proteinuria - drug therapy; Rats; Rats, Zucker; Rodents; Triglycerides - metabolism; Urine - chemistry; Diabetic nephropathy; Type 2-diabetic mellitus; Renal fibrosis; Telmisartan; Proteinuria
• ISSN: 0940-5429; 1432-5233
• DOI: 10.1007/s00592-007-0016-5

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the renoprotective effect of telmisartan, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist, on the early stages of diabetic nephropathy in obese Zucker rats, which is a type 2-related diabetes mellitus model. Telmisartan 1, 3 or 10 mg/kg/day was orally administered to 7-week-old rats that demonstrated glucose tolerance without albuminuria or proteinuria, for 24 consecutive weeks (Experiment A). In another experiment (Experiment B), oral administration of telmisartan 10 mg/kg/day was initiated at the age of 16 weeks after the rats demonstrated marked proteinuria, and continued for 24 weeks. Telmisartan inhibited the increase in proteinuria and albuminuria in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibition for all telmisartan groups was statistically significant by the completion of administration (Experiment A). Telmisartan also displayed similar inhibitory effects on proteinuria and albuminuria in Experiment B. Histologically, telmisartan [3 and 10 mg/kg/day] was associated with a significant decrease in the progression of glomerulosclerosis, and significantly improved interstitial cell infiltration, interstitial fibrosis and dilation and atrophy of renal tubules. Furthermore, telmisartan treatment was associated with a tendency towards normalized plasma lipids (total cholesterol and triglyceride). Our results suggest that telmisartan has a definite renoprotective effect against renal injury in type II diabetic nephropathy.