Abstract
Background
Diabetic nephropathy is one of the leading causes of mortality in diabetic patients. Increased advanced glycation end products, oxidative stress and TGF beta expression plays crucial role in pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy. Triphala churna is a powder formulation in Ayurveda-Indian traditional system of medicine which consists of fruits of Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula and Emblica officinalis. Triphala churna and individual ingredients of it have shown antidiabetic and antioxidant activity. Hence, the present study was designed to study the effect of triphala churna in diabetic nephropathy.
Methods
Diabetic nephropathy was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats with administration of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg, i.p.) in citrate buffer (pH 4.4). Animals having plasma glucose level more than 250 mg/dl were randomized in four groups after 4 weeks. One group was kept as diabetic control while other groups received triphala churna at a dose of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg for next four weeks. Various urine and biochemical parameters were studied at end of study. Estimation of oxidative stress parameters and histopathological studies were carried out at the end of the study. TGF beta expression in kidney tissues was carried out through immuno-histochemical analysis, ELISA and western blotting.
Results
Treatment with triphala churna significantly reduced urine volume, protein and improved creatinine clearance indicating inhibition of structural damage to kidney tissue. Treatment also decreased the plasma glucose level significantly at all the dose levels. The treatment improved biochemical parameters like total proteins, albumin, creatinine and BUN. Triphala churna treatment also significantly reduced malonaldehyde level at dose 500 (p<0.01) and 1000 mg/kg (p<0.001). The GSH, Catalase and SOD levels were significantly increased in kidney tissue of animals treated with dose of 500 (p<0.05) and 1000 mg/kg (p<0.01). Histopathological studies supported the results of biochemical and oxidative stress parameters as treatment with triphala churna inhibited kidney damage. Immunohistochemistry, ELISA and western blotting study of kidney tissue revealed that treatment with triphala decreased the expression of TGF beta.
Conclusion
From study it can be concluded that triphala churna has significant effect in diabetic nephropathy which may be linked with inhibition of TGF beta.
