The Effects of RBP4 and Vitamin D on the Proliferation and Migration of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells via the JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are one of the main causes of the development of diabetic atherosclerotic process. The aim of our study was to assess the role of RBP4 in the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and the inhibitory effect of vitamin D on the mechanisms. In an in vivo experiment, rats were randomly classified into 6 groups: the control group, diabetic rats, diabetic atherosclerotic rats (diabetic rats intraperitoneally injected with RBP4), diabetic atherosclerotic rats treated with 0.

Metformin alleviates high glucose-mediated oxidative stress in rat glomerular mesangial cells by modulation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression in vitro.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects and mechanism of metformin in oxidative stress and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) expression in rat glomerular mesangial cells (MCs) cultured in a high glucose medium. Rat glomerular MCs (HBZY-1) were cultured in complete medium and divided into the following five groups: Normal control (NC), high glucose (HG), metformin-treated, SB203580-treated (SB) and N-acetylcysteine-treated (NAC). The production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in rat glomerular MCs was measured using flow cytometry.