The Ayurvedic Medicine Salacia oblonga Attenuates Diabetic Renal Fibrosis in Rats: Suppression of Angiotensin II/AT1 Signaling
Figure 7
Renal expression of AT1 (a) and TGF-β1 (b) in ZL and ZDF rats, and levels of AT1 (c) and TGF-β1 (d) mRNAs, and TGF-β protein (e) in rat mesangial cells. In cell culture, SO (SO10: 10; SO20: 20 and SO40: 40 μg/ml), MA (25 μM) or telmisartan (Tel. 10 μM) was added 1 h prior to treatment with angiotensin II (10−6 M), followed by twenty-four hours incubation. Total RNA was extracted from renal tissues and the mesangial cells using TRIzol, respectively. The relative levels of specific mRNAs were determined by RT–PCR. Results were normalized to β-actin. In a parallel experiment, the medium was collected after mesangial cells were treated with the test agents in combination with angiotensin II. TGF-β protein level was determined by commercial ELISA kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. All values are means ± SEM (n = 5, each group in vivo; n = 3, each group in vitro). *.
