Hyperoside reduces albuminuria in diabetic nephropathy at the early stage through ameliorating renal damage and podocyte injury

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the major microvascular complications in diabetes. Podocyte injury such as slit diaphragm effacement is regarded as a determinant in the occurrence and development of albuminuria in DN. In this study, we examined the effect of hyperoside, an active flavonoid glycoside, on proteinuria and renal damage in a streptozotocin-induced DN mouse model at the early stage. The results showed that oral administration of hyperoside (30 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks could significantly decrease urinary microalbumin excretion and glomerular hyperfiltration in DN mice, but did not affect the glucose and lipid metabolism. Periodic acid-Schiff staining and transmission electron microscopy showed that glomerular mesangial matrix expansion and podocyte process effacement in DN mice were significantly improved by hyperoside. Further investigations via immunofluorescence staining, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis showed that the decreased slit diaphragm protein nephrin and podocin mRNA expression and protein levels in DN mice were restored by hyperoside treatment. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that hyperoside could decrease albuminuria at the early stage of DN by ameliorating renal damage and podocyte injury.