Effect of Peach Kernel on Protein Kinase B Signaling Pathway in Diabetic Macrovascular Fibrosis Rats
ZHOU Yu,LIU Guo-tao,LU Zeng-zhen,XU Yang,WANG Jun
Graduate School of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin (300193), China
Abstract:
Objective To observe the effect of Peach Kernel Granule on protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway in type 2 diabetic rats with macrovascular fibrosis. Methods There were 200 male SD rats, 30 of which were randomly selected as blank control group. The remaining 170 rats were given high fat and sugar diet - intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) - continuous feeding with high fat and sugar diet to prepare macrovascular fibrosis model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thirty-nine rats were excluded from the loss of death during feeding and modeling, and were eventually divided into blank control group (n=29), model control group (n=34), early intervention group (n=34), low dose group (n=32) and high dose group (n=32). The blank control group was not given special treatment. The model control group was given 10 mL/(kg?d) normal saline by gavage, the early intervention group and the low dose group were given 10 mL/(kg?d) Peach kernel granule solution by gavage, and the high dose group was given 20 mL/(kg?d) Peach Kernel Granule solution by gavage. The early intervention group began to be intervened until the model of type 2 diabetes mellitus was established. The other groups began to be intervened after the model of type 2 diabetes mellitus macrovascular fibrosis rats was established. The intervention lasted for 7 weeks. At last, five rats were randomly selected from each group for experiment. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) was used to detect the expression of AKT. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of AKT and phosphorylated AKT in femoral artery tissue. Results Immunohistochemistry showed that yellow substances were scattered in vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of rats in blank control group, showing weak positive changes, strong positive reactions in model control group, weak positive reactions in early intervention group and high dose group, and positive reactions in low dose group. Compared with the blank control group (1.058687.png 0.05), the expression of mAKT in the model control group (5.688701.png0.61), and drug intervention groups (4.278714.png0.32, 5.338729.png0.60, 4.728743.png0.28) was up-regulated (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) Compared with the model control group, the expression of mAKT in the drug intervention groups was up-regulated, especially in the early intervention group (4.278758.png0.32) and the high dose group (4.728771.png0.28) (P < 0.01). Compared with the blank control group (0.168784.png0.01, 0.108800.png0.03), the expression of AKT and p-AKT in the model control group (0.388811.png0.03, 0.218822.png0.02), and the drug intervention groups (0.278835.png0.04, 0.188849.png0.01; 0.308862.png0.05, 0.178877.png0.01; 0.288893.png0.03, 0.198908.png0.02) was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model control group, the expression of AKT and p-AKT in the drug intervention group was significantly increased (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The expression of AKT and p-AKT showed no difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion Peach kernel can inhibit macrovascular fibrosis in diabetic rats, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of AKT signaling pathway.
