Protective Effect of Tanshinone IIA on the Early Stage of Experimental Diabetic Nephropathy

• Published in: Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 220 - 224
• Main Authors: Kim, Su Kang, Jung, Kyung-Hee, Lee, Byung-Cheol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan 01.02.2009; Pharmaceutical Society of Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: advanced glycation end product; angiotensin II; Angiotensin II - metabolism; Animals; Blood Glucose - metabolism; collagen IV; Collagen Type IV - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - pathology; Diabetic Nephropathies - pathology; Diabetic Nephropathies - prevention & control; diabetic nephropathy; Diterpenes, Abietane; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Glycation End Products, Advanced - metabolism; Immunohistochemistry; Kidney - pathology; Macrophages - drug effects; Monocytes - drug effects; Neutrophil Infiltration - drug effects; Phenanthrenes - pharmacology; Protective Agents; Proteinuria - prevention & control; Rats; Tanshinone IIA; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 - metabolism; transforming growth factor-β1
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.32.220

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has become the leading cause of end stage renal failure, and prevention or retardation of DN has become a major goal in biomedical research. In this study, Tanshinone IIA, a component extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza, was studied in experimental rats in which DN was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) treatment. The DN rats were treated with 10 mg/kg of Tanshinone IIA for 12 weeks to analyze its reno-protective effect with different parameters. Renal hypertrophy and 24-h urinary protein excretion were ameliorated by Tanshinone IIA. Moreover, advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), angiotensin II (Ang II), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), collagen IV, and monocyte/macrophage (ED-1) either in the serum or kidney were significantly reduced. These results suggest that Tanshinone IIA might have protective effects on several pharmacological targets during the progression of DN, and could be a potential drug for the prevention of DN.