Thyroid hormone ameliorates diabetic nephropathy

Lin & Sun treated db/db mice with tri-iodothyronine (T3) to assess the impact it has on the progression of diabetic nephropathy, the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease. Histological examination and molecular assays showed that T3 improved kidney function by attenuating albuminuria, collagen accumulation in kidney cortex and glomerulosclerosis. T3 also restored renal phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity and decreased renal transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-B1) expression. Ameliorative effects of T3 were reversed when mice were treated with a PI3K inhibitor, indicating that T3 prevents nephropathy by improving insulin signalling. Lin & Sun (2011) Journal of Endocrinology 209 185–191.

Read the full article at DOI:10.1530/JOE-10-0340.