The protective effects of Morus nigra L. leaves on the kidney function tests and histological structures in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Background and aim: Diabetic nephropathy results from an increasing in oxidative stress. The phenolic components of mulberry (Morus nigra L.) leaves extract have antioxidant components and may modulate oxidative stress. In this study, the beneficial effects of mulberry leaves extract were assessed in diabetic nephropathy. Materials and methods: Diabetes induced by high-fat diet and injection of 35 mg/kgBW Streptozotocin (STZ). Forty-four male wistar rats were divided into four groups: healthy control, non-treated, glibenclamide-treated, and extract-treated. The extract-treated group was treated with mulberry leaf extract for 4 weeks. At the end of treatment, kidney and blood samples were collected to assay the biochemical analysis including fasting blood glucose level, albumin, creatinine, urea and uric acid concentrations, white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit and histological evaluation. Results: Fasting blood glucose, creatinine, urea and uric acid were significantly in low levels in extracttreated group compared with the non-treated diabetic rats (p<0.001, p=0.03, p=0.009, and p=0.002; respectively). White blood cells level was low level (p<0.001) and hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were higher in extract treated group (p<0.001 and p=0.01; respectively). Serum albumin level in extracttreated rats was significantly higher than untreated group (p<0.001). Histology evaluation showed that glycogen accumulation, fatty degeneration, and lymphocyte infiltration in extract-treated group were mild; while they were moderate in non-treated group. Conclusion: The antioxidant properties of Mulberry leaves inhibited kidney damage in diabetic rats. These results can be a base to evaluate the effects of mulberry (Morus nigra L.) leaves extract in the management of hyperuricemia and nephropathy in diabetic human patients.