Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes and it is related to irreversible kidney damages and chronic renal failure. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is an early stage in the development of diabetes and DN. Early detection of IGT and treatment of its associated early kidney damage can effectively prevent the development of DN. In this paper, the influence of dihydromyricetin (DHM) on lowering blood glucose concentration and reducing early kidney damage in IGT rats was studied. Animal model of IGT rats was built by two week intragastric injection of D-galactose and treated with eight weeks of intragastric injection of DHM at two dose levels. The concentrations of fasting blood glucose (FBG), two-hour postprandial blood glucose (2hBG), insulin levels, contents of microalbuminuia (mAlb) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in kidney were analysed and compared with those in control groups. Experimental results indicated that DHM treatment can significantly lower the levels of two-hour postprandial blood glucose and insulin, decrease the content of mAlb and the activities of LDH in kidney, but does not influence the level of BUN. The study suggested that DHM can effectively improve the states of IGT rats and provide a protective effect against early kidney damage.
Diabetes mellitus, fasting blood glucose concentration, and risk of vascular disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of 102 prospective studies
