N-hexacosanol ameliorates streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat nephropathy

Abstract In this study we investigated the effects of N -hexacosanol on streptozotocin-induced rat diabetic nephropathy. Diabetes was induced in 8-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats by administering an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). The rats were divided into four groups and maintained for 8 weeks: control rats, diabetic rats without treatment with N -hexacosanol, and diabetic rats treated with N -hexacosanol (2 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg i.p. every day). Although N -hexacosanol failed to modify the diabetic status, increases in serum creatinine as well as in kidney weight were significantly reduced. The malonaldehyde and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β 1 ) concentrations as well as the protein kinase C (PKC) activities in the diabetic kidney were significantly higher than those of the control, which were decreased by treatment with N -hexacosanol. Histological examinations revealed that N -hexacosanol significantly ameliorated diabetic-induced tubulointerstitial pathological changes. Our data suggest that N -hexacosanol could prevent increases in the malonaldehyde and TGF-β 1 concentrations and PKC activities in the kidney, and ameliorate diabetic-induced nephropathy.