Effects of Treatment with Probucol, a Hypolipidemic Agent, on Diabetic Nephropathy

• Published in: Iryo Yakugaku (Japanese Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences) Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 415 - 424
• Main Authors: Sasaki, Hidehisa, Kanai, Saburo, Itoh, Yoshiaki, Miyashita, Yoh, Shirai, Kohji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences 10.10.2002
• Subjects: antioxidation; creatinine; diabetic nephropathy; microalbumin; probucol
• ISSN: 1346-342X; 1882-1499
• DOI: 10.5649/jjphcs.28.415

A year-long prospective study was conducted to elucidate the effects of probucol, an anti-oxidative hypolipidemic agent, on the progression of diabetic nephropathy. A total of 152 diabetic outpatients with an urinary albumin level of 200mg/g·Cr or more, and who routinely visited our hospital were divided into two groups of 75 patients treated with probucol (500mg/day) and 77 non-treated patients. All patients were observed for 12 months. The results reveled no significant difference in the blood pressure or HbA1clevel between the two groups. However, the serum lipid levels in the probucol-treated group decreased by 16 to 18% (p< 0.01) for total cholesterol, 19 to 28% for neutral fat, and 17 to 21% (p<0.01) for HDL-cholesterol, while they did not significantly change in the non-treated group. As for the renal function, probucol suppressed the progression of nephropathy in a patients group with a moderate to severe serum creatinine and urinary albumin level and another patient group with a mild to moderate urinary protein level at severity level of from ± to 2 +. Kidney dialysis was required in 2 probucol-treated patients and 9 nontreated patients, where the rate of dialysis shift after the serum creatinine concentration exceeded 2.0mg/dL was 15% in the probucol-treated group and 58% in the non-treated group. From the present results, it was suggested that probucol suppresses the progression of diabetic nephropathy, thereby extending the period until dialysis is required.