| NaoXinTong is a Chinese Materia Medica standardized product which is the mixture of 16 Chinese traditional medical herbs. NaoXinTong has beenwidely used for treatment of patients with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases in China. Formation of microaneurysms plays an important role in the development of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic and nephropathy. However, it remains unknown if NaoXinTong can reduce these diabetic complications.In this study, we investigated if NaoXinTong can protect diabetic mice against the development of diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy. The db/db mice (-6 weeks old), a diabetic animal model, were divided into two groups and fed normal chow or plus NaoXinTong for 14 weeks. During the treatment, fasting blood glucose levels were monthly determined and body weights were determined every four days. After treatment, blood and tissue samples were collected to determine serum lipids, tissue structure and the involved mechanisms.Our results demonstrate that administration of NaoXinTong reduced diabetes-induced body weight gain, decreased fasting blood glucose levels and serum cholesterol levels. In retinas, NaoXinTong blocked the shrink of whole retina and retinal sub-layers by inhibiting expression of caspase 3 (Cas-3), matrix metallopro-teinases-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), accumulation of carbohydrate macromolecules and formation of acellular capillaries. Meanwhile, NaoXinTong improved renal functions by inhibiting mesangial matrix expansion, expression of fibronectin and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in kidneys. Mechanistically, NaoXinTong induced expression of glucokinase (GCK), insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in liver and other peripheral tissues.Taken together, our study shows that NaoXinTong can inhibit the development of diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy by ameliorating glucose metabolism and demonstrate a potential application in clinics. |
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