d-arg-dmt-lys-phe-nh2 and Nephritis--Interstitial

Renal tubular injury is an early characteristic of diabetic nephropathy (DN) that is related to mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, we explore the effects and mechanisms of mitochondria-targeted peptide SS31 on renal tubulointerstitial injury in DN.. 40 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, STZ group, STZ+SS31 group, and STZ+normal saline group. SS31 was intraperitoneally injected to the mice every other day for 24 weeks. Renal lesions and the expression of Drp1, Mfn1, Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase1, IL-1. Compared with diabetic mice, the levels of serum creatinine and microalbuminuria were significantly decreased in the SS31 group. Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were observed in diabetic mice, while the pathological changes were reduced in the SS31-treatment group. SS31 could decrease the expression of Drp1, Bax, Caspase1, IL-1. SS31 protected renal tubulointerstitial injury in diabetic mice through a decrease in mitochondrial fragmentation via suppressing the expression of Drp1 and increasing the expression of Mfn1.

Topics: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetic Nephropathies; Humans; Kidney Tubules; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Nephritis, Interstitial; Oligopeptides; Random Allocation; Reactive Oxygen Species