nephrin and pitavastatin

Podocytes injury is involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy. This study was designed to confirm the reno- and podocyte-protective effects of pitavastatin in diabetic rats and clarify its mechanisms.. Wistar rats were divided into 4 treatment groups: control, streptozotocin (STZ; 55 mg/kg)-induced diabetes, STZ with pitavastatin (10 mg/kg/day), and STZ with tempol (1 mmol/l).. STZ-induced diabetic rats exhibited increases in urinary protein excretion and plasma creatinine, and a decrease in creatinine clearance. Pitavastatin significantly improved these parameters without reducing cholesterol levels, whereas tempol did not. The treatment with STZ-enhanced renal fibrosis, mesangial proliferation, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, MCP-1 and suppressed Rho in association with decrement of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7 expression in renal cortex. Moreover, STZ decreased podocyte related factors, podocin and nephrin, and BMP-7 in podocytes. Pitavastatin significantly ameliorated all these indices. On the other hand, improvement by tempol was found only in TGF-β, MCP-1 and histological changes.. Pitavastatin exhibited reno- and podocyte-protective effects accompanied by BMP-7 preservation and Rho suppression.

Topics: Animals; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; Chemokine CCL2; Creatinine; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Gene Expression; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Kidney; Male; Malondialdehyde; Membrane Proteins; Nitrates; Nitrites; Protective Agents; Proteinuria; Quinolines; Rats, Wistar; rho-Associated Kinases; Transforming Growth Factor beta; Up-Regulation