Effect of the Combination Between Metformin and Vitamin D on Experimentally-Induced Diabetic Nephropathy
Ahmed M. Kabel*, Sultan N. Alotaibi, Naif M. Alswat, Muteb S. Aldajani, Mayudh S. Alnefaie
Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the serious complications of diabetes caused by angiopathy of capillaries in the renal glomeruli. Metformin is an anti-diabetic agent that was shown to have renoprotective effects. Vitamin D was proven to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may ameliorate DN.
Aim: To study the effect of each of vitamin D and metformin alone and in combination on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN.
Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into 6 equal groups Control untreated group, STZ group, STZ + Metformin group, STZ + Vitamin D group, STZ+ Peanut oil group and STZ + Vitamin D + Metformin group. Kidney weight/body weight ratio, serum fasting glucose, C-reactive protein (CRP), glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb), blood urea, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance were determined. A part of the kidney was homogenized for determination of tissue catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The other part was subjected to histopathological and immunohistochemical examination.
Results: Vitamin D and metformin alone and in combination induced significant increase in creatinine clearance, tissue CAT and GPx with significant decrease in serum fasting glucose, kidney weight/body weight ratio, glycosylated Hb, blood urea, serum creatinine, tissue TNF-α and serum C-reactive protein and alleviated the histopathological changes compared to STZ group. This effect was significant in vitamin D/metformin combination group compared to the use of either vitamin D or metformin alone.
Conclusion: Vitamin D/metformin combination might represent a beneficial therapeutic modality for treatment of DN.
