Green tea infusion prevents diabetic nephropathy aggravation in recent-onset type 1 diabetes regardless of glycemic control.

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Green tea, traditionally used as antidiabetic medicine, affects positively the diabetic nephropathy and it was assumed that these beneficial effects were due to the tea’s hypoglycemiant capacity, reducing the glycemic overload and, consequently, the advanced glycation end products rate and oxidative damage. However, these results are still controversial because tea is not always able to exert a hypoglycemic action, as shown by previous studies. Aim Investigate if green tea infusion can generate positive outcomes for the kidney independently of glycemic control, using a model of severe type 1 diabetes. Material and methods We treated streptozotocin type 1 diabetic young rats with 100 mg/Kg of green tea, daily, for 42 days, and evaluated the serum and tissue markers for stress and function, also, we analyzed the ion dynamics in the organ and the morphological alterations promoted by diabetes and green tea treatment. Besides, we analyzed, by an in silico approach, the interactions of the green tea main catechins with the proteins expressed in the kidney. Results Our findings reveals that the components of green tea can interact with proteins participating in cell signaling pathways that regulate energy metabolism, including glucose and glycogen synthesis, glucose reabsorption, hypoxia management, and cell death by apoptosis. Such interaction leads to reduced accumulation of glycogen in the organ, as well as protects DNA. These results also reflect in a preserved glomerulus morphology, with improvement in pathological features, and suggesting a prevention of kidney function impairment. Conclusion Our results show that such benefits are achieved regardless of the blood glucose status, and are not dependent on the reduction of hyperglycemia.