Effects of angelica lactone combined with Xiaoke pill on regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor signal pathway and on renal protection in diabetic nephropathy rats / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of angelica lactone combined with Xiaoke pill on blood glucose regulation, renal protection and vascular endothelial growth factor signal pathway in diabetic nephropathy rats. Methods Totally 75 rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, Xiaoke pill group, angelica lactone group and angelica lactone combined with Xiaoke pill group, with 15 rats in each group. Except for the control group, the rest of the rats established diabetic nephropathy model. Rats in Xiaoke pill group, angelica lactone group and angelica lactone combined with Xiaoke pill group were given Xiaoke pill (0.8 g/kg), angelica lactone (20 mg/kg), Xiaoke pill (0.8 g/kg) combined with angelica lactone (20 mg/kg), respectively, once for 8 weeks. The levels of 24-hour urinary protein, fasting and postprandial blood glucose, glycosylated serum albumin and glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity index, serum creatinine (SCr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. The levels of insulin (INS) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) mRNA in islet tissue were measured by Real-time PCR. Renal histopathological changes were detected by HE staining. The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in rat kidney were detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results Compared with the model group, 24-hour urinary protein, fasting and postprandial blood glucose, glycosylated serum albumin and glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting insulin, SCr and BUN, VEGF and VEGFR2 protein levels and relative integral absorbance of kidney tissue in angelica lactone combined with Xiaoke pill group were significantly lower than those in model group(P<0.05). The insulin sensitivity index, the levels of INS and G6Pase mRNA in islet tissue were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the renal histopathology of diabetic nephropathy rats was significantly improved. Conclusion Angelica lactone combined with Xiaoke pill can reduce blood glucose level, increase insulin sensitivity index, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of VEGF signal pathway.