Renoprotection by rosiglitazone in accelerated type 2 diabetic nephropathy: Role of STAT1 inhibition and nephrin restoration.

Background: Rosiglitazone (Ros) has been shown to attenuate CXCL8 and ICAM-1 overexpression in renal tubular cells exposed to glycated albumin. The present study explores whether this can be translated into renoprotection in vivo. Uninephrectomized (Unx) type 2 diabetic db/db mice were chosen as a model of accelerated diabetic nephropathy.

Methods: Uninephrectomy was performed in 10-week-old db/db mice. They were then treated with vehicle, metformin or Ros for 8 weeks.

Results: Unx-db/db mice treated with Ros had lower serum creatinine and albuminuria, less severe glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial injury, fewer infiltrating macrophages, and less proliferating nuclear antigen-positive tubular cells compared with mice treated with metformin that had a similar level of glycemic control and insulin resistance. In addition, Ros but not metformin attenuated renal cortical expression of CCL2, MIP-2, and ICAM-1 and inhibited p-STAT1 signal activation. Ros also increased glomerular nephrin expression.

Conclusions: Our results delineated the biochemical and histologic characteristics of Unx-db/db mice and demonstrated the in vivo glucose-independent anti-inflammatory mechanisms of Ros in nephropathy of accelerated murine type 2 diabetes.