The nephroprotective action of Passiflora edulis in streptozotocin-induced diabetes

• Published in: Scientific reports 2022-10, Vol.12 (1), p.17546-17546, Article 17546
• Main Authors: Araújo Galdino, Ony, de Souza Gomes, Iago, Ferreira de Almeida Júnior, Renato, Conceição Ferreira de Carvalho, Maria Imaculada, Abreu, Bento João, Abbott Galvão Ururahy, Marcela, Cabral, Barbara, Zucolotto Langassner, Silvana Maria, Costa de Souza, Karla Simone, Augusto de Rezende, Adriana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/337; 692/699/2743/137; Albumins - metabolism; Animals; Creatinine; Creatinine - urine; Cytotoxicity; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - metabolism; Diabetic Nephropathies - drug therapy; Diabetic Nephropathies - metabolism; Diabetic Nephropathies - prevention & control; Fibrosis; Gene expression; Histopathology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insulin; Insulin - metabolism; Kidney - metabolism; Kidney diseases; Kidneys; Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-2 - metabolism; LRP2 protein; Lymphocytes T; Male; multidisciplinary; Passiflora - genetics; Passiflora edulis; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Wistar; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Streptozocin; Streptozocin - pharmacology
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21826-9

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Passiflora edulis fruit peel aqueous (AFA) extract as an adjuvant to insulin to confer nephroprotection against streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups based on treatment received for 60 days: diabetic (DB), control (CTL), insulin (INS), and insulin + AFA extract (INS + AFA). mRNA and protein expression levels of podocyte (nephrin, podocin, and WT1) and tubular (megalin) proteins were measured in kidney tissue specimens and urine. Biochemical parameters and kidney histopathology were also examined. Herein, the INS + AFA group showed superior glycemic control, which resulted in the reduction of urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, maintenance of baseline levels of Nphs1, Nphs2, Wt1, and Lrp2 mRNA expression, prevention of protein loss from the kidney tissue into the urinary space, along with the maintenance of glomerular basement membrane thickness, hyalinization, glomerular and tubulointerstitial fibrosis at values approximating those of the CTL group and significantly lower than those in the DB group. Therefore, these results suggest that, as an anti-diabetic agent, the AFA extract adjuvant to insulin could reduce and potentially prevent diabetic kidney disease.