Protective effect of methylhydroxy chalcone polymer extracted from cassia on the renal damage in unilaterally nephrectomized diabetic rats

Objective To elucidate the protective effects of methylhydroxy chalcone polymer (MHCP) extracted from cassia on diabetic kidney damage. Methods Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were peri-toneally injected with streptozotocin two weeks after unilateral nephrectomy to establish diabetic animal mod-el,and randomly divided into three groups. They were treated with drugs for 12 weeks. Finally,the expression of VEGF,collagen Ⅳ and IRS-1 as well as the changes in kidney tissue were investigated. Results Treat-ment with MHCP down-regulated partially the expression of VEGF (relative absorbance was 25.3%),IRS-1 (relative absorbance was 189.5%),elevated the activities of antioxidants such as SOD, GSH-PX in the cortex of kidney (P<0.05, compared with unilaterally nephrectomized diabetic group). Conclusion MHCP can ameliorate renal damage in diabetic rats through controlling blood glucose, increasing the acti-vation of IRS-1,reducing oxidative stress, and improving the endothelial function in diabetic rats. Key words: Cassia;  Diabetic kidney disease;  Vascular endothelial growth factor;  Oxidative stress