Effect of mononuclear cells versus pioglitazone on streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats.

BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy is a serious diabetic complication that leads to end stage renal disease. Cell therapies with human embryonic and specific adult stem cells have emerged as an alternative management for various diseases. METHODS To test this hypothesis, the present study was conducted to compare effect of MNCs treatment (iv injection once in the tail vein for diabetic rats in a dose of 150 x 10(6) MNCs cells/rat) versus pioglitazone (10 mg/kg, for eight weeks) on improving the renal structure and function changes and reducing laminin deposition associated with STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats. RESULTS Treatment with pioglitazone orMNCs, demonstrated a significant improvement in the STZ-induced renal functional and structural changes in comparison with diabetic control group. Additionally, our histopathological and immunohistochemical studies confirm these results. Meanwhile, MNCs treated group exhibited more improvement in all studied parameters as compared to pioglitazone treated group. CONCLUSION These data indicate that MNCs treatment was superior to pioglitazone in controlling hyperglycemia, improving the renal structure and function changes and reducing renal laminin expression associated with STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats.