Protective effect of herbomineral formulation (Dolabi) on early diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The effect of a herbomineral formulation (HMF) on early diabetic nephropathy was investigated. Diabetes was induced in Wistar rats by administering streptozotocin (55 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). The occurrence of early diabetic nephropathy in rats was revealed by high plasma glucose and depleted liver glycogen, decreased glucose uptake by peripheral tissue, impaired renal function, increased antioxidants and lipid peroxidation in kidney. These changes were accompanied by elevated malondialdehyde, glutathione and superoxide dismutase activity in kidney. Furthermore, increased total urine volume, urinary albumin excretion rate, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, increased relative kidney weight, decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urinary creatinine were also observed in diabetic nephropathy rats. HMF treatment significantly lowered blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, triglycerides, total cholesterol, serum albumin level, total urine volume, urinary albumin excretion rate, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio and relative kidney weight, and increased urinary creatinine and GFR. Altered levels of antioxidants, viz. lipid peroxidation, glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD), in kidney of diabetic nephropathy rats were restored. Histopathological findings indicated dense mesangial matrix in the glomeruli of diabetic nephropathy rats, which may be due to over-activation of matrix metalloproteinases and was reduced following HMF treatment. Our experimental findings clearly demonstrate that HMF has an ability to prevent the progression of early diabetic nephropathy. Such protective effect of HMF might be due to the presence of flavonoids (catechin, quercetin, rutin) and triterpene saponins (oleanolic acid and gymnemic acid) which are known to possess potent antioxidant properties.