Antioxidant effect of carnosine treatment on renal oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a significant role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. We investigated the effects of an antioxidant, carnosine, on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced renal injury in diabetic rats. We used four groups of eight rats: group 1, control; group 2, carnosine treated; group 3, untreated diabetic; group 4, carnosine treated diabetic. Kidneys were removed and processed, and sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and subjected to eNOS immunohistochemistry. Examination by light microscopy revealed degenerated glomeruli, thickened basement membrane and glycogen accumulation in the tubules of diabetic kidneys. Carnosine treatment prevented the renal morphological damage caused by diabetes. Moreover, administration of carnosine decreased somewhat the oxidative damage of diabetic nephropathy. Appropriate doses of carnosine might be a useful therapeutic option to reduce oxidative stress and associated renal injury in diabetes mellitus.

Carnosine Attenuates the Development of both Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Nephropathy in BTBR ob/ob Mice

“…Additional supportive in vivo data comes e.g. from ischemia/reperfusion models5051 and STZ-rendered diabetic mice with renal improvement despite unaffected glycemic control103652.…”

Effect of Carnosine on Renal Function, Oxidation and Glycation Products in the Kidneys of High-Fat Diet/Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

“…This treatment also caused decreases in urinary protein levels and serum oxidative/carbonyl stress parameters such as PC, ALE/AGE, pentosidine and isoprostane-8-epi-PGF 2α levels together with amelioration in renal histopathologic findings [47]. CAR treatment also exhibited a protection against diabetic nephropathy in STZ rats [29][30][31]. Oral CAR treatment (1 g/kg body weight/day for 12 weeks) was observed to increase CAR levels, prevent podocytes loss, and reduce apoptosis in kidneys of STZ rats, although this treatment did not alter plasma glucose and blood HbA1c levels and renal oxidative and nitrosative stress parameters and AGE levels in kidneys of STZ rats [29].…”

“…CAR was reported to play a beneficial role in the treatment of experimental renal dysfunctions induced by ischemia-reperfusion [23], chemicals [24,25] and metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance [46,47] and diabetes mellitus [29][30][31]. L-CAR and derivatives reduced insulin resistance in non-diabetic Zucker obese rats and apoE null mice fed with HFD and exhibited renoprotective effects [46,47].…”

“…CAR treatment has also been shown to protect against oxidative stress-induced hepatic [20][21][22] and renal [23][24][25] injuries. Additionally, some reports have demonstrated that CAR treatment was effective in attenuating the diabetic complications such as fatty liver [26], atherosclerosis [27], retinopathy [28], and nephropathy [29][30][31] in STZ-treated rodents. However, there is no in vivo study investigating the effect of CAR treatment in HFD + STZ-rats.…”

Transforming Growth Factor-β1/Smad3 Signaling and Redox Status in Experimentally Induced Nephrotoxicity: Impact of Carnosine

“…The improved histopathological findings with carnosine co-treatment gives an additional support that carnosine protected the kidney from damage induced by CCl4 through quenching of the free radicals generated by CCl4, reduced inflammation, improved kidney function, and induced healthy state of renal cells suggesting its role as renal protective agent. Yay et al [25] reported that carnosine treatment prevented the renal morphological damage caused by diabetes in addition carnosine might be a useful therapeutic option to reduce oxidative stress and associated renal injury in diabetes mellitus.…”