Silymarin and milk thistle extract may prevent the progression of diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Objectives:To investigate the effect of silymarin and milk thistle extract on the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced with a single intraperitoneal (IP) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg). Silymarin (100 mg/kg/d) or the extract (1.2 g/kg/d) was gavaged for 4 weeks. Blood glucose (BS), serum urea (S u ), serum creatinine (S cr ), and 24-h urine protein (Up) were measured and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated. Concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were evaluated in the renal tissue. Results: Data were expressed as mean ± SEM. Silymarin or the extract had no significant effect on BS, S cr , and GFR. Both milk thistle extract and silymarin, respectively, decreased S u (mg/dL) (87.1 ± 7.78, p < 0.001; 84.5 ± 7.15, p < 0.001), Up (mg) (5.22 ± 1.56, p = 0.014; 5.67 ± 0.86, p = 0.034), and tissue TBARS (nmol/mg protein) (0.67 ± 0.04, p < 0.001; 0.63 ± 0.07, p < 0.001) in diabetic rats, compared to diabetic control (DC) (S u : 131.0 ± 4.55, Up: 8.3 ± 0.84, TBARS: 0.94 ± 0.06). Both the extract and silymarin could increase the activity of CAT (IU/mg protein) (25.5 ± 4.0, p = 0.005; 20 ± 1.8, p = 0.16) and GPx (IU/mg protein) (0.86 ± 0.05, p = 0.005; 0.74 ± 0.04, p = 0.10), respectively, in diabetic rats compared to DC (CAT = 14.4 ± 2.0, GPx = 0.57 ± 0.02). Conclusion: Milk thistle extract, to a lesser extent silymarin, can attenuate DN in rats possibly by increasing kidney CAT and GPx activity and decreasing lipid peroxidation in renal tissue.

Coadjuvants in the Diabetic Complications: Nutraceuticals and Drugs with Pleiotropic Effects

“…In the same paper, Khazim et al [147] obtained similar results in an in vivo experiment using 100 mg/kg/day of same substance (i.p., six weeks) in an advanced new model of diabetic nephropathy (OVE26 mice) with an additional reduction in albuminuria. These data also corroborated the findings of Vessal et al [148], who used silymarin (100 mg/kg/day, i.p., for four weeks) in an STZ-rat model to obtain a reduction in kidney lipid peroxidation and increase the activity of catalase and GPx under hyperglycemia conditions.…”

Yüksek Kalorili Bıldırcın Karma Yemlerine Deve Dikeni (Silybum marianum) Tohumu İlavesinin Yumurta Verimi, Yumurta Kalite Özellikleri, Kuluçka Randımanı ve Oksidatif Stres Parametreleri Üzerine Etkisi

“…In a study conducted similar to our results, insignificant differences was found in serum MDA of ducks fed with SFO diet [32] . It is known that Slybum marianum extracts and active substances like silymarin show antioxidant characteristics and inhibit oxidative stress in various tissues such as liver, kidney, brain of rats [5,[33][34][35] . It was determined that it increased in kidneys of diabetic rats; while the use of milk thistle extracts and silymarin decreased Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values in a statistically significant way, the decreased SOD, CAT, and GSHPx activities increased [34,36] .…”

Potential Renoprotective Effects of Silymarin Against Nephrotoxic Drugs: A Review of Literature

“…Silymarin also reduced kidney damage and restored activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase enzymes in rats with alloxan-induced diabetes (33). In streptozotocininduced diabetes rats, milk thistle extract attenuated diabetic nephropathy, probably by increasing catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity and reducing lipid peroxidation in renal tissue (34).…”