Psoralea corylifolia L. Seed Extract Attenuates Diabetic Nephropathy by Inhibiting Renal Fibrosis and Apoptosis in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 9; no. 8; p. 828
• Main Authors: Seo, Eunhui, Kang, Hwansu, Oh, Yoon Sin, Jun, Hee-Sook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.08.2017; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Collagen (type IV); Creatinine; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diabetic Nephropathies - prevention & control; Diabetic nephropathy; Fibronectin; Fibrosis; Fibrosis - prevention & control; Gene expression; Glucose; Herbal medicine; Male; Mesangial cells; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Nephropathy; Oral administration; Pharmacology; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plants, Medicinal; Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; Polyamide-imides; Psoralea - chemistry; Psoralea corylifolia L. seed; Psoralen; renal apoptosis; renal fibrosis; Rodents; Seeds - chemistry; Streptozocin; Transforming growth factor-b1; Urine; Psoralea corylifolia L. seed; renal fibrosis; diabetic nephropathy; renal apoptosis
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu9080828

The L. seed (PCS) is a widely used herbal medicine, but its possible effect against diabetic nephropathy has not been studied. To investigate the anti-nephropathic effect of PCS extracts, we performed experiments using a diabetic mouse model and high glucose-treated mesangial cells. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were orally administered PCS extract for 8 weeks (500 mg/kg/day). Increased creatinine clearance, urine volume, urine microalbumin, and mesangial expansion were observed in STZ-induced diabetic mice; these were significantly reduced by PCS extract administration. PCS extract significantly reduced fibrosis in the kidney tissue of diabetic mice as evidenced by decreased mRNA expression of collagen type IV-α2, fibronectin, PAI-1, and TGF-β1. In addition, cleaved PARP, an apoptotic gene, was upregulated in the diabetic nephropathy mice, and this was ameliorated after PCS extract treatment. Treatment of high glucose-treated MES-13 cells with isopsoralen and psoralen, major components of PCS extract, also decreased the expression of fibrosis and apoptosis marker genes and increased cell viability. PCS extract exerts protective effects against STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy via anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic effects. PCS extract might be a potential pharmacological agent to protect against high glucose-induced renal damage under diabetic conditions.