Effect of berberine on expression of fibronectin and connective tissue growth factor in combination of high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of berberine on diabetic nephropathy rat model.Methods The rat model of diabetic nephropathy was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin(STZ)after having high-fat diet for six weeks.The rats were assigned into 7 groups:normal control group,model group,3 berberine treatment groups,diabetic rats treated with enalapril and XiaoKe Wan every day served as positive control groups.After treatment for 8 weeks,each left kidney was removed.Masson's trichrome staining was used to observe the pathological changes of kidney.The expression of fibronectin(FN)and connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Berberine could suppress alterations in histological changes in the kidney tissues,decrease the expression of FN and CTGF in renal tissue of diabetic rats with nephropathy.Conclusion Berberine may slow down the progression of diabetic nephropathy in rats by suppressing the expression of FN and CTGF in renal tissue.