Yonsei Med J.  2012 Jul;53(4):691-700. 10.3349/ymj.2012.53.4.691.

Antidiabetic Effects of Corni Fructus Extract in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

• Gao D
• Li Q
• Gao Z
• Wang L

• KMID: 1716865
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2012.53.4.691

Abstract

PURPOSE
Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal failure. The present study was undertaken to characterize the effects of Corni Fructus on diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and their mechanisms.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Streptozotocin-diabetic rats were orally administrated with Corni Fructus at a dose of 100, 200 or 400 mg/kg body mass for 40 days.
RESULTS
Corni Fructus-treated diabetic rats showed significant decreases of blood glucose, urinary protein levels and water consumption. Corni Fructus also reduced serum total cholesterol, total triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and showed a tendency of enhancing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. Levels of serum albumin and creatinine in diabetic rats were also significantly reduced by Corni Fructus administration at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body mass compared with non-treated diabetic rats. Corni Fructus increased catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidose (GSH-px) activities in the kidneys of diabetic rats. Furthermore, Corni Fructus treatment enhanced renal peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) expression in diabetic rats.
CONCLUSION
These results demonstrated that Corni Fructus may have the potential to protect the animals from diabetic nephropathy by amelioration of oxidative stress and stimulation of PPARgamma expression.

Keyword

Corni Fructus (Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc.); diabetic nephropathy; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma); antioxidant enzymes

MeSH Terms

Animals
Blotting, Western
Body Weight/drug effects
Catalase/metabolism
Cornus/*chemistry
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/*drug therapy
Glucose Tolerance Test
Glutathione/metabolism
Hypoglycemic Agents/*therapeutic use
Male
Malondialdehyde/metabolism
Plant Extracts/*therapeutic use
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Effects of oral glucose tolerance test on Corni Fructus-treated diabetic rats. The values are means±SE of eight rats per group. *p<0.05 vs. the diabetic control group (Group II).

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  Fig. 2 Effect of Corni Fructus treatment on blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. The values are means±SE of eight rats per group. *p<0.05 vs. the diabetic control group (Group II). †p<0.01 vs. the diabetic control group (Group II).

• 

  Fig. 3 Representative photomicrographs (original magnification, ×400) of PAS stained kidney sections. (A) Group I (B) Group II (C) Group III (D) Group IV (E) Group V rats (F) Glomerular volume, and (G) expansion of matrix index expressed as a quantitative estimate score. All values are means±SD. *p<0.05, compared with STZ-treated group, †p<0.05, compared with STZ-treated group. PAS, periodic acid-schiff; STZ, streptozotocin; SD, standard deviation.

• 

  Fig. 4 Levels of PPARγ in kidney tissues of experimental rats. Western blotting analysis shows the expression levels of PPARγ in kidney tissues. The values are means±SD of eight rats per group. *p<0.01 vs. the diabetic control group (Group II). PPAR, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; SD, standard deviation.

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  Fig. 5 PPARγ transcription level in the kidney tissues of experimental rats. RT-PCR analysis shows the expression levels of PPARγ (top panel), and β-actin (bottom panel) in kidney tissues. The values are means±SD of eight rats per group; *p<0.01 vs the diabetic control group (Group II). PPAR, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; RT-PCR, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; SD, standard deviation.

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