PREVENTIVE EFFECT OF ANETHOLE ON CHANGES IN DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Introduction: Diabetic kidney disease is a clinically relevant microvascular complication. Anethole, found in essential oils of plants, is a promising therapeutic candidate. Objective: To evaluate the preventive effect of anethole on diabetic kidney disease. Materials and Methods: CEUA-UECE protocol: 31032.004642/2023-39. Male Wistar rats were divided into Control (C, n = 10), Diabetic (D, n = 9), and Diabetic + Anethole (DA, n = 8) groups. DA animals received 80 mg/kg of anethole daily via gavage for 8 weeks. Renal parameters analyzed included plasma and urinary creatinine, creatinine clearance (CCr), and protein excretion (UPCr). The interlobar artery was assessed in a wire myograph for electromechanical (KCl, 10 – 100 mM), pharmacomechanical (norepinephrine [NE], 10⁻⁹ – 10⁻⁴ M), and endothelium-independent relaxation (NPS, 10⁻⁹ – 10⁻⁴ M) responses. Data were analyzed by One-way or Two-way ANOVA, Tukey’s test, p < 0.05. Results: Body mass (g) was reduced in D (365.0 ± 9.71; p < 0.0001) and DA (348.8 ± 6.12; p < 0.0001) vs. C (532.6 ± 8.45). Blood glucose (mg/dL) in DA (494.3 ± 22.25 was not different from D (455.6 ± 28.69), but was different from C (104.9 ± 9.58). Plasma creatinine (mg/dL) was unchanged (comparison between all groups); urinary creatinine (mg/dL) decreased in D (11.32 ± 2.83; p = 0.0005) and DA (19.58 ± 4.85; p = 0.0077) vs. C (41.29 ± 6.17). However, CCr was not significantly altered. The UPCr (mg/mg), an important biomarker of tubular injuries, was higher in D (3.83 ± 1.229; p = 0.0173) vs. C (0.83 ± 0.097), while group DA (1.25 ± 0.313) presented values similar to C. This showed an important preventive effect of the UPCr. Concerning renal artery contractile function, electromechanical responses were similar between groups. This is repeated in the response to the NPS. However, NE-induced contraction was significantly increased in group D compared to group C starting at 10⁻⁷ M (p = 0,0330), indicating hyperreactivity of the interlobar artery. The DA group prevented this hyperreactivity, showing responses similar to those of the control group. Conclusion: Anethole prevented significant tubular alterations and marked hyperreactivity in the renal interlobar artery of STZ-induced diabetic rats.

This work was supported by Conselho Nac. Des. Cient. Tecnologico - CNPq (grants: 407458/2023-9 and 307968-2020-0) and by the Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – FUNCAP (grant PS1-0186-00343.01.00/21).