QUERCETIN AMELIORATES THE STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RENAL INJURY BY INHIBITING APOPTOSIS

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is an important health problem worldwide due to its frequency and complications. In this study, the protective effect of quercetin on the apoptotic changes of rat kidney in the early stages of diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ) was evaluated.Rats are divided into 3 groups as control, diabetic and diabetic+quercetin groups. STZ was applied as a single dose of 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) to diabetic and diabetic+quercetin groups. Quercetin was given at 30 mg/kg i.p. once a day for 15 days, 48 hours after induction of diabetes. At the end of quercetin treatment, all animals were sacrificed and kidneys were harvested and weighed. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay (TUNEL) for apoptosis was performed and evaluated renal histopathology. The induction of diabetes via STZ caused a significant increase in blood glucose levels, the index of glomerulosclerosis, the histopathologic score, the number of TUNEL positive tubular and glomerular cells. Quercetin treatment lowered blood glucose levels, prevented renal cell apoptotic changes and histopathological alterations in diabetic rat kidney.The findings of the study suggested that quercetin may be useful in preventing diabetic nephropathy by regulating renal apoptotic changes that occur in the early stages of diabetes.

Keywords

• streptozotocin
• quercetin
• nephropathy
• apoptosis
• diabetes mellitus
• rat