Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Protective role of cannabinoids against diabetic nephropathy induced in rats by streptozotocin

WenXing Fan^1,2, ShiJun Hong³, Tao Wei⁴, YueNa Yang⁴, Min Weng⁵ , Jing Zhang¹, Feng Su¹, Mali Niroj¹

¹Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming; ²Yunnan Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650032; ³School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming; ⁴Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500; ⁵Department of Nutrition, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650032, China.

For correspondence:- Min Weng Email: minweng009@yahoo.com Tel:+8615987165447

Accepted: 20 June 2021 Published: 29 July 2021

Citation: Fan W, Hong S, Wei T, Yang Y, Weng M, Zhang J, et al. Protective role of cannabinoids against diabetic nephropathy induced in rats by streptozotocin. Trop J Pharm Res 2021; 20(7):1473-1480 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i7.21

© 2021 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of cannabinoid ligand in diabetic nephropathy mediated by streptozotocin (STZ) injection in rats.

Methods: Rats deprived of food were injected streptozotocin (STZ, 70 mg/kg) followed by confirmation of diabetes by checking the blood glucose level for three consecutive days. The kidney tissue was exposed to periodic acid Schiff reagent (PASR) for the investigation of glomerular sclerotic injury under microscope.

Results: Cannabinoid treatment decreased mesangial expansion, glomerular volume, proteinuria, reactive oxygen species and apoptosis in STZ rats. The cells were cultured with 40 mM of glucose for 8 h in which the podocytes responded with 2.9-fold increase in dihydroethidium fluorescence signal, compared to the podocytes cells cultured in low glucose (10 mM). However, cannabinoid treatment decreased ROS production in podocytes as indicated by dihydroehidium relative fluorescence. Further, the effect of ROS production by glucose on podocytes was inhibited by NADPH oxidase inhibitor, DPI (10 mM). Moreover, cannabinoid treatment reduced the expression of Sgk1, NADPH oxidase activity which was elevated by high glucose.

Conclusion: Treatment with cannabinoid decreases mesangial expansion, glomerular volume, proteinuria, and reactive oxygen species production in STZ rats. Thus, cannabinoid may be a protective agent against diabetic nephropathy in humans.

Keywords: Diabetic nephropathy, Cannabinoids, Streptozotocin, Podocytes, ROS