Background: Renal injury may develop in uncontrolled chronic hyperglycemia due to increased oxidative stress and release of pro-inflammatory mediators, leading to diabetic complications.
Methods: Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) is an immunosuppressant drug, an inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), relevant to inflammation processes. MMF effect was tested in alloxan-diabetic rats on selected parameters like oxidative stress, gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), in relation to microalbuminuria and renal function.
Results: We found that the onset of microalbuminuria preceded the increase in serum glucose after alloxan treatment. Gene expression of TNF-α and TGF-β1 showed gradual increase after one and two weeks of alloxan administration as compared to the normal group. MMF administration decreased the gene expression of TNF-α and TGF-β1 in kidney tissues, serum glucose, fructosamine, urea, creatinine, C-reactive protein, malondialdehyde, urinary microalbumin and total protein. Histological examination of kidney tissues showed significant improvement in MMF treated rats as compared to diabetic control.
Conclusions: MMF modulated renal injury of alloxan diabetic rats. Collective data may support its therapeutic effect but further clinical trials may be requested.
Keywords: Malondialdehyde; Mycophenolate Mofetil; Nephropathy; Transforming growth factor-beta1; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
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