Scientific Research and Essays

  • Abbreviation: Sci. Res. Essays
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1992-2248
  • DOI: 10.5897/SRE
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 2768

Full Length Research Paper

Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract ameliorates diabetic nephropathy in rats

Esrafil Mansouri1, Marzieh Panahi1*, Mohammad Ali Ghaffari2 and Ali Ghorbani3
  1Department of Anatomical Sciences, Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz, Iran. 2Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran. 3Department of Nephrology, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 30 May 2012
  •  Published: 12 July 2012

Abstract

 

This study examined the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) on kidney of diabetic nephropathy rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three Groups: control, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy and received GSPE 500 mg/kg for 6 weeks. At first, 24-h urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was studied two weeks after induction of diabetes then each week until the end of the experimental period in all of groups. At the end, the experimental animals were sacrificed and the right kidneys were collected and were prepared for light microscopy and electron microscopy evaluation. The results showed that the UAE and kidney weight in diabetic nephropathy rats were significantly higher than in control. Also an increase of the mesangial matrix, apoptotic cells, Bax expression, glomerular basement membrane thickness and broadening of foot process in diabetic nephropathy group rats were observed when compared to control group. These features were found to be reversed when the GSPE was administered to the experimental animals. Our results suggest that GSPE can prevent the progression of nephropathy in diabetic rats.

 

Key words: Apoptosis, diabetic nephropathy, Bax protein, glomerular basement membrane, grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE).