Nephrin and podocin loss is prevented by mycophenolate mofetil in early experimental diabetic nephropathy.

Several works in the setting of early experimental diabetic nephropathy using anti-inflammatory drugs, such as mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), have shown that prevention of the development or amelioration of renal injury including proteinuria. The exact mechanisms by which anti-inflammatory drugs lower the albuminuria have no still to clarify well. In this study, diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin after uninephrectomy. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, diabetic group and diabetic group treated with MMF. Elevated 24h urinary albumin excretion rate was markedly attenuated by MMF treatment. In diabetic rats receiving no treatment, there were increase in ED-1+ cells in the glomeruli, which were effectively suppressed by MMF treatment. The expression of nephrin and podocin protein was reduced in the glomeruli from diabetic rats, and MMF treatment significantly increased the expression of nephrin and podocin. The expression of IL-1, TNF-alpha and 3-NT protein in the glomeruli were significantly increased in diabetic rats, which were all significantly inhibited by MMF treatment. Our results show that MMF could decrease urinary albumin excretion, which mechanism may be at least partly correlated with upregulated expression of nephrin and podocin in the glomeruli of diabetic rat.