Study on protective effect and mechanism of schisandrin B on streptozotocin induced-diabetic reinopathy / 中国免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the protective effect and underlying mechanism of schisandrin B ( SB) on streptozotocin ( STZ) induced-diabetic reinopathy ( DR) in rats. Methods: Following STZ injection, rats received gavage of SB for 9 months subsequently. TUNEL assay was performed for apoptosis. The levels of SOD, MDA and LDH were determined by kits. To calculate the levels of inflammatory cytokines, ELISA assay was carried out. And western blot was performed for protein levels. Results: In STZ induced-DR rats, glucose level was makedly increased. SB inhibited STZ-induced apoptosis as demonstrated by increased apoptotic body. SB significantly increased the level of SOD and decreased the levels of MDA and LDH. Meanwhile, SB notably inhibited STZ induced-inflammation by decreasing IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β. Furthermore, SB partly abolished STZ' s effects on the expressions of VEGF, Cdc42 and pp38. Conclusion: SB attenuates STZ induced-DR via Cdc42/p38 signaling pathway.