Grape seed procyanidin B2 (GSPB2) was reported to have protective effects on diabetic nephropathy (DN) as a strong antioxidant. Our previous studies demonstrated that GSPB2 was effective in ameliorating podocyte injury in rats with DN. However, little is known about the benefits of GSPB2 in protecting against podocyte apoptosis and its molecular mechanisms in vitro. In the present study, we investigated whether GSPB2 could protect podocytes from high glucose-induced apoptosis and explored the possible mechanism. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry, respectively. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was measured using a dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) fluorescent probe. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR was used to determine the gene expression of nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), and quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number. Western blots were carried out for the related protein expression in podocytes. Our results showed that GSPB2 significantly inhibited high glucose-induced podocyte apoptosis and increased the expression of nephrin and podocalyxin. GSPB2 treatment also suppressed intracellular ROS production and oxidative stress. The mRNA expressions of NRF-1, TFAM and mtDNA copy number were markedly increased, and mitochondrial swelling was effectively reduced in podocytes cultured under high glucose after GSPB2 treatment. The AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α axis was also activated by GSPB2 intervention. In conclusion, GSPB2 protected podocytes from high glucose-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis via the AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α axis in vitro, suggesting a potential role of GSPB2 in the treatment of DN.

Background: It is increasingly being realized that failure of pancreatic beta cells to secrete enough insulin to adequately compensate for obesity and insulin resistance is the primary defects of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Pancreatic beta cells possess a highly developed and active endoplasmic reticulum (ER), reflecting their role in folding, export and processing of newly synthesized insulin. ER stress-induced pancreatic beta-cell failure is a novel event in the pathogenesis of T2DM. Some studies with antioxidants indicated a beneficial impact on ER stress. Our previous study found that strong antioxidants, grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs), ameliorated ER stress to protect skeletal muscle from cell death in type 2 diabetic rats. The present study continued to investigate the effect of GSPs on beta-cell failure and ER stress in diabetic pancreas. Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats made type 2 diabetic with 2 injections of 25 mg/kg streptozotocin and 8 weeks of the high-carbohydrate/high-fat diet were fed a basal diet with or without GSPs administration for 16 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance, plasma glucose, serum insulin and the score of beta-cell function were measured. Morphological observation was performed by light and electron microscopic analyses. Islet cell apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP biotin nick end labeling staining. Additionally, the level of insulin and the expression of ER stress markers in pancreatic islets were also studied using immunohistochemical staining. Results: After 16 weeks treatment, the score of beta-cell function and the abnormal oral glucose tolerance of diabetic rats were partially reversed by GSPs treatment. The efficacious effect of GSPs was also manifested in the amelioration of pancreatic damage and ER dilatation by microscopic analyses. Moreover, GSPs treatment increased normal insulin content and decreased the number of apoptotic cells in diabetic islets. Importantly, GSPs treatment partially alleviated ER stress by decreasing some ER stress markers. Conclusion: These findings suggest that GSPs might have auxiliary therapeutic potential for pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction and death in T2DM.

Podocytes are part of the glomerular filtration membrane in kidney and serve to prevent the filtration of protein from the blood. Several evidences suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and it is an early event in podocyte injury. Mitochondrial dysfunction promotes oxidative stress that can favor the development of podocyte injury. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) was considered to be a major regulator of metabolic homeostasis and mitochondrial function. Some studies indicated that polyphenols may improve mitochondrial dysfunction, maintain the podocyte integrity and have therapeutic effects on glomerular diseases by promoting PGC-1α expression. Our study investigated whether grape seed proanthocyanidin extracts (GSPE), a strong antioxidant, ameliorate podocyte injury by activating PGC-1α in low-dose streptozotocin-and high-carbohydrate/high-fat diet-induced diabetic rats. After 16 weeks of GSPE treatment, GSPE slightly increased the body weight and decreased plasma glucose, food intake, water intake and urine volume in diabetic rats. Further, GSPE significantly decreased 24 h albumin levels and increased the expression of nephrin and podocalyxin. The antioxidant levels were improved and the cellular damage of kidney in diabetic rats was also relieved effectively after the treatment. Moreover, GSPE increased the mRNA expression of mitochondrial biogenesis factors and mitochondrial DNA content. Finally, GSPE activated the expression of PGC-1α, silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). These results suggest that GSPE ameliorate podocyte injury in diabetic nephropathy by the activation of AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α signalling, which appears to inhibit oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in the kidney.

Care for diabetic wounds remains a significant clinical problem. The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of skin gelatin from Chum Salmon on defective wound repair in the skin of diabetic rats. Full-thickness excisional skin wounds were made in 48 rats, of which 32 were diabetes. The diabetic rats were orally treated daily for 14 days with skin gelatin from Chum Salmon (2 g/kg) or its vehicle. Sixteen non-diabetic control rats received the same amount of water as vehicle-treated non-diabetic rats. Rats were killed to assess the rate of wound closure, microvessel density (MVD), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hydroxyproline (HP) contents in wound tissues and nitrate in plasma and wound tissue at 7 and 14 days after wounding. Skin gelatin-treated diabetic rats showed a better wound closure, increased MVD, VEGF, hyproxyproline and NO contents and a reduced extent of inflammatory response. All parameters were significant (P < 0.05) in comparison to vehicle-treated diabetic group. In light of our finding that skin gelatin of Chum Salmon promotes skin wound repair in diabetic rats, we propose that oral administration of Chum Salmon skin gelatin might be a beneficial method for treating wound disorders associated with diabetes.

Grape seed procyanidin B2 (GSPB2), an antioxidative and anti-inflammatory polyphenol in grape seed, has been found to have protective effects on diabetic nephropathy. Based on its favourable biological activities, in the present study, we aimed to investigate whether GSPB2 could inhibit apoptosis in rat mesangial cells treated with glucosamine (GlcN) under high-dose conditions. The results showed that the administration of GSPB2 (10 μg/ml) significantly increased the viability of mesangial cells treated with GlcN at a dose of 15 mm. We found that GSPB2 inhibited apoptosis in mesangial cells using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphates (dUTP) nick-end labelling staining and flow cytometry technique (P< 0·05 for both). GSPB2 treatment also suppressed oxidative stress by elevating the activity of glutathione peroxidase (P< 0·05) and superoxide dismutase (P< 0·01), as well as prevented cellular damage. GSPB2 enhanced the mRNA expression of nuclear respiratory factor 1, mitochondrial transcription factor A and mitochondrial DNA copy number in mesangial cells as determined by real-time PCR (P< 0·05 for each). Finally, GSPB2 treatment activated the protein expression of PPARγ co-activator-1α (PGC-1α), silent mating type information regulation 2 homologue 1 (SIRT1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in mesangial cells. These findings suggest that GSPB2 markedly ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibits apoptosis in rat mesangial cells treated with high-dose GlcN. This protective effect could be, at least in part, due to the activation of the AMPK–SIRT1–PGC-1α axis.

Due to the increased consumption of marine collagen peptides preparation (MCP) as ingredients in functional foods and pharmaceuticals, it was necessary to carry out safety requirements in the form of an oral chronic toxicity assessment. In order to define the oral chronic toxicity of MCP, a 24-month feeding study of MCP was carried out. Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats at the age of four-week of both sexes were treated with MCP at the diet concentrations of 0%, 2.25%, 4.5%, 9% and 18% (wt/wt). The actual food intake and bodyweight of the individual animals were recorded periodically until sacrifice. Blood and urine samples were collected for serum chemistry evaluations and urinalysis. Throughout the experimental period, there was no toxicologically significant difference between the vehicle and MCP-treated animals with respect to the survival rate, body weight, food consumption, urinalysis, clinical biochemistry parameter and relative organ weight in either sex. Moreover, incidences of non-neoplastic lesions in MCP-treated groups did not significantly increase compared with the control group. Under the present experimental conditions, no higher risk of chronic toxic effects was observed in MCP-treated rats at the diet concentrations of 2.25%, 4.5%, 9% and 18% (wt/wt) than in the rats fed with basal rodent diet.