Abstract
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a condition that leads to end-stage chronic kidney disease characterized by inflammation and a deficiency of nitric oxide (NO). Cannabinoid receptor (CB2) activation by specific agonist reduces nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κβ) expression. Beta caryophyllene (BCP), a natural CB2 receptor activator, protects kidney function in several diseases. L-Arginine (LA) modulates several physiological processes by donating nitric oxide (NO). Hence, we tested a novel BCP-LA combination to treat DN and investigated its molecular mechanisms. BCP, LA, and combinations of both were evaluated in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage inflammation as well as in streptozotocin (55 mg/kg)-induced diabetes in SD rats. Diabetic rats were administered 200 mg/kg of BCP, 100 mg/kg of LA, and combination of both orally for 28 days. Biochemical markers and inflammatory cytokines were assessed in plasma; also, kidney tissue was examined for renal oxidative stress injury, NF-κβ expression, and histology. After 28 days of treatment, BCP and LA combination significantly lowered plasma glucose levels than the disease control group. BCP and LA also normalized renal markers and oxidative stress of diabetic rats. Plasma and RAW macrophage cell lines showed reduced levels of IL-6 and TNF-α (P < 0.001). Histopathological evaluations revealed that BCP and LA together decreased renal fibrosis and collagen deposition also improved nephrotic indices. Meanwhile, the effect of BCP and LA together significantly reduced the NF-κβ (P < 0.01) against diabetic rats. These results indicate that the innovative regimen BCP with LA may be a therapeutic treatment for DN, as it protects kidney tissue from diabetes via NF-κβ inhibition.
Keywords: Beta caryophyllene, Cannabinoid receptor 2, Diabetic nephropathy, Renal fibrosis
© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
References
-
- Blake K (2021) Beta-caryophyllene: a review of current research. Altern Complement Ther 27(5):222–226. https://doi.org/10.1089/act.2021.29349.kbl – DOI
-
- Cheng H, Harris R (2014) Renal endothelial dysfunction in diabetic nephropathy. Cardiovasc Hematol Disord Drug Targets 14(1):22–33. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871529×14666140401110841 – DOI – PubMed – PMC
-
- Chua JT, Argueta DA, Dipatrizio NV, Kovesdy CP, Vaziri ND, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Moradi H (2019) Endocannabinoid system and the kidneys: from renal physiology to injury and disease. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 4(1):10. https://doi.org/10.1089/CAN.2018.0060 – DOI – PubMed – PMC
-
- Claybaugh T, Decker S, McCall K, Slyvka Y, Steimle J, Wood A, Schaefer M, Thuma J, Inman S (2014) L-Arginine supplementation in type II diabetic rats preserves renal function and improves insulin sensitivity by altering the nitric oxide pathway. Int J Endocrinol 171546:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/171546
-
- Donadelli M, Dando I, Zaniboni T, Costanzo C, DallaPozza E, Scupoli MT, Scarpa A, Zappavigna S, Marra M, Abbruzzese A, Bifulco M, Caraglia M, Palmieri M (2011) Gemcitabine/cannabinoid combination triggers autophagy in pancreatic cancer cells through a ROS-mediated mechanism. Cell Death Dis 2(4):e152. https://doi.org/10.1038/cddis.2011.36 – DOI – PubMed – PMC