ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Renal Pharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1558341
This article is part of the Research TopicCell Death in Kidney Diseases: Novel Biomarkers, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic StrategiesView all 15 articles
Synergistic effect of hypoglycemic drugs in combination with phytochemicals, Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau, ameliorates renal inflammation, fibrosis, and injury in type 2 diabetic rats
Provisionally accepted
Pongrapee Laorodphun1
Saruda Thongyim2Sureeporn Suriyaprom2Pornchita Maphet1Yingmanee Tragoolpua1
Thida Kaewkod1Aussara Panya1
Phatchawan Arjinajarn1*- 1Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- 2Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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ABSTRACT Background: Combination treatment enhances the therapeutic potential for diabetes, particularly for patients with severe complications. Combining standard therapeutic drugs with alternative bioactive compounds provides a promising option for long-term treatment, given the high safety profile of bioactive substances. Objective in this study, we aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of metformin and Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau (CN) on glucose metabolism and renal dysfunction parameters in a type 2 diabetic rat model.Methods: Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet for 4 weeks and then received a low dose of streptozotocin to induce type 2 diabetes. The diabetic rats were randomly divided into four groups: untreated diabetic rats (DM), diabetic rats treated with CN at doses of 100 or 200 mg/kg/day (DM100 or DM200), diabetic rats treated with a combination of CN and metformin (DMCOM), and diabetic rats treated with metformin at 100 mg/kg/day (DMMET). The treatments were administered by gavage for 4 weeks.Results: Compared to single treatments, DMCOM showed a remarkable effect in reducing several parameters, including serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, while enhancing creatinine clearance in diabetic rats. Additionally, DMCOM significantly decreased malondialdehyde levels. Notably, diabetic rats treated with DMCOM exhibited a significant reduction in parameters associated with renal dysfunction, as evidenced by decreased inflammation markers, along with downregulated fibrotic markers.Conclusions: Our findings provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of CN and suggest a new strategy for preventing nephrotoxicity and other kidney diseases in diabetic patients. Keywords: Modern medicine; Traditional medicine; Phenolic compounds; Renal injury; Type 2 Diabetes
Keywords: modern medicine, traditional medicine, phenolic compounds, renal injury, type 2 diabetes
Received: 10 Jan 2025; Accepted: 16 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Laorodphun, Thongyim, Suriyaprom, Maphet, Tragoolpua, Kaewkod, Panya and Arjinajarn. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Phatchawan Arjinajarn, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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