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Review
. 2017 May;22(3):99-118.
doi: 10.1080/13510002.2017.1297885. Epub 2017 Mar 9.

Natural antioxidants in the treatment and prevention of diabetic nephropathy; a potential approach that warrants clinical trials

Noori Al-Waili  1 , Hamza Al-Waili  1 , Thia Al-Waili  1 , Khelod Salom  1
Affiliations
Review

Natural antioxidants in the treatment and prevention of diabetic nephropathy; a potential approach that warrants clinical trials

Noori Al-Waili et al. Redox Rep. 2017 May.

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy is the major cause of end-stage renal disease and effective and new therapeutic approaches are needed in diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammatory process are important factors contributing to kidney damage by increasing production of oxidants. KEAP1/Nrf2/ARE pathway regulates the transcription of many antioxidant genes and modulation of the pathway up regulates antioxidants. NFB controls the expression of genes involved in the inflammatory response. Natural substances have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and have an impact on NFB and KEAP1/Nrf2/ARE pathways. The preclinical studies explored the effectiveness of whole herbs, plants or seeds and their active ingredients in established diabetic nephropathy. They ameliorate oxidative stress induced kidney damage, enhance antioxidant system, and decrease inflammatory process and fibrosis; most likely by activating KEAP1/Nrf2/ARE pathway and by deactivating NFB pathway. Whole natural products contain balanced antioxidants that might work synergistically to induce beneficial therapeutic outcome. In this context, more clinical studies involving whole plants or herbal products or mixtures of different herbs and plants and their active ingredients might change our strategies for the management of diabetic nephropathy. The natural products might be useful as preventive interventions and studies are required in this field.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; antioxidants; diabetic nephropathy; herbs; kidney; oxidative stress.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Role of high blood sugar and transcriptase factors in OS in DM and DN and the effects of natural products. ⊕: activate or stimulate; ⊗: deactivate or inhibit; GSTs: glutathione-s-transferase; OS: oxidative stress; NO: nitric oxide; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor; GCS: γ-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase; ROS: reactive oxygen species; PCK: protein kinase C; SOD: superoxide dismutase; RNS: reactive nitrogen species; AGEs: advanced glycation end products; NFκB: nuclear factor kappa B; NrF2: nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; HO1: heme oxygenase-1; NQO1: NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1; MCP-1: monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; IKK-β: inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit beta; IκBα: nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha.
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