The effect of Astaxanthin on Experimentally Induced Diabetic Kidney Disease

Aim: To identify the potential renal protective effect produced by astaxanthin on streptozotocin-produced diabetic kidney disease in rats.

Study Design: Male Wistar rats (n=60) were separated into six groups, control, diabetic (streptozotocin 45 mg/kg single intraperitoneal injection), diabetic + ramipril (1 mg/kg oral gavage), diabetic + astaxanthin (10mg/kg oral gavage), diabetic + astaxanthin (50 mg/kg oral gavage), and astaxanthin-alone (50 mg/kg oral gavage) group.

Place and Duration of Treatment: Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Duration of treatment was eight weeks.

Methodology: Fasting blood glucose, and symptoms of diabetes were evaluated weekly. Kidneys were evaluated by measuring serum creatinine level, kidney index, and hematoxylin and eosin staining.

Results: Eight-week astaxanthin treatment (50 mg/kg) in streptozotocin-produced diabetic kidney disease in rats significantly alleviated the diabetic symptoms (p = 0.05), and the decrease in body weight (P = .05) compared to nontreated diabetic rats. Nonetheless, the same dose produced a nonsignificant decline in fasting blood glucose level contrasted to diabetic rats (P = .45). Kidney index and serum creatinine of diabetic rats were significantly attenuated by both 10 and 50 mg/kg astaxanthin doses (P = .05). Additionally, renal architecture was preserved by high-dose astaxanthin treatment compared to nontreated diabetic rats.

Conclusion: Astaxanthin could protect against kidney damage associated with diabetes. Nevertheless, the impact of astaxanthin on biological markers of kidney damage in diabetes and the molecular pathways implicated in diabetic kidney disease requires additional investigation.