Affiliation:
1. Engineering Research Center of Natural Medicine Ministry of Education Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai Zhuhai 519087 China
2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization Faculty of Geographical Science Beijing Normal University Beijing 100875 China
3. Zhuhai Branch of State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai Zhuhai 519087 China
Abstract
ScopeDiabetic nephropathy (DN), a complication of diabetes mellitus, is becoming a significant global health concern, with no complete cure currently available. Tea is regarded as an essential component of a balanced diet and contains (+)‐Catechin (CE), which exert a range of pharmacological effects. Consequently, CE may be a potential treatment for DN. The objective of this study is to examine the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of CE on DN, with a particular focus on the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which plays a pivotal role in regulating DN.Methods and resultsIn this study db/db mice are treated with catechins. The results demonstrate that CE reduces obesity and hyperglycemia, improves renal dysfunction and morphological changes in diabetic mice, and inhibits the development of DN through the RAGE/NF‐κB signaling pathway. Among them differentially expressed messenger RNA (mRNA) results, those related to EMT, including Cav1, grem2, macrod2, and kap, are identified. To further validate the results, the same experiments are performed on HK‐2 cells.ConclusionsThe research results offer novel perspectives by emphasizing the anti‐inflammatory properties of CE and their potential role in mitigating DN through the regulation of EMT‐related genes such as RAGE, Cav1, grem2, macrod2, and kap.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China