Combination of melatonin and certain drugs for treatment of diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.

Diabetic nephropathy is a major complication of diabetes and a leading cause of end-stage renal failure in many developed countries. The study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of certain drugs and melatonin in the treatment of nephropathy secondary to diabetes. Diabetes was induced in rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). Three days after induction of diabetes (460-500 mg/dl), rats were treated daily for 60 days with Rowatinex, melatonin, Rowatinex + melatonin, Amosar (Losartan Potassium) (LSP) and LSP + melatonin. The evaluations were made by measuring blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum uric acid, serum creatinine, urine creatinine, creatinine clearance, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, kidney injury molecule-1, heat shock protein-70, caspase-3, transforming growth factor β1, and DNA degradation by comet assay and total protein contents. The histopathological picture of the kidneys and pancreases was confirmed in our results. Diabetic rats showed drastic changes in all the measured parameters. Treatment with melatonin and the selected drugs revealed amelioration levels with variable degrees. In conclusion, the combination of LSP and melatonin had the most potent effect on treating the deleterious action of diabetes on rat kidney.