Effect of Curcumin-Mediated miR-449 on Diabetic Nephropathy

Abstract

This study assessed the mechanism for curcumin-mediated miR-449 regulating PACS-2 in diabetic nephropathy under nursing intervention. A diabetic nephropathy model was constructed, in which rats were fasted for 12 hours before experiments and injected with Streptozotocin (STZ) at a ratio of 45–65 mg/kg (30–60 mg STZ). When the rats aged 8 weeks, they were given intraperitoneal injection of curcumin and tissue histological morphology was detected to ensure successful model construction. HE staining observed the morphological changes in renal tissue, while immunohistochemistry detected the expression of PACS-2 and PACS-2 related proteins. Nursing intervention could reduce serum creatinine, fasting blood glucose, urea nitrogen and proteinuria levels. After nursing intervention, the levels of IL-6, hs-CRP and TNF-α in patients were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and miR-499 expression increased after nursing intervention. After curcumin treatment, the red staining of entire kidney cytoplasm in the control and experimental groups became lighter. Moreover, the expression of miR-449 in the kidney tissue was significantly increased after curcumin treatment. Since PACS-2 plays an important role in kidney injury, curcumin largely normalized kidney injury as shown by serum BUN levels after curcumin treatment in the rat model. Turmeric, a traditional Chinese medicine, has a bitter taste and warm nature. It might facilitate blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and relieving chest pain and heartache. Curcumin as the main active ingredient of turmeric, has been proven to inhibit the abnormal proliferation of diabetic nephropathy. Under the influence of effective nursing care, the patient’s physical condition was improved, which was mainly reflected in the related inflammatory indicators. Studies have shown that fibronectin, which is an important indicator for PACS-2, plays a decisive role in fibrosis. Our testing found that, curcumin significantly reduced the expression of PACS-2 during treatment. Nursing intervention can therefore effectively improve inflammatory response and renal function of diabetic nephropathy through curcumin-mediated miR-449 regulation of PACS-2.