BACKGROUND Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of kidney failure in the developed world. Tranilast has been reported to not only act as an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic compound, but it also exerts anti-oxidative stress effects in diabetic nephropathy. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) is the endogenous inhibitor of the anti-oxidant thioredoxin and is highly up-regulated in di...

Diastolic dysfunction is an increasingly recognized complication of diabetes that develops in relatively young patients as a result of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). With recent advances in echocardiographic technology now permitting the reliable assessment of diastolic function in the rat, we examined cardiac function and structure in diabetic rodents and assessed the effects of intervening wi...

PURPOSE To determine whether tranilast administered to pigmented rats inhibits formation of choroidal neovascularization induced by diode-laser photocoagulation. METHODS Female Brown Norway rats were used. On day 0, choroidal neovascularization was induced by diode-laser photocoagulation, using a setting of 75 microm spot size, 0.1 second's duration, and 100 mW intensity. Tranilast (200 or 60...

Objective Heart failure is currently the most serious complication of muscular dystrophy. The transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 2 (TRPV2) is a stretch-sensitive Ca channel. In damaged myocytes or cardiomyocytes, TRPV2 translocates to the cytoplasmic membrane and enhances Ca influx, triggering cell damage. Evidence suggests that the inhibition of TRPV2 may be a new...

BACKGROUND Postoperative adhesion is one of the major complications of strabismus surgery and result in motility dysfunction that brings unpredictable surgical outcomes. However, there was no definitely accepted treatment method to prevent postoperative adhesion. METHODS A prospective, randomized, controlled experimental animal study was performed. Both eyes of each of 14 New Zealand White ra...

The anti-tumor effect of N- [3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl] -anthranilic acid (tranilast) was examined in experimental pancreatic cancer. Proliferation of PGHAM-1 cells was inhibited by tranilast in a dose-dependent manner, showing a significant difference at a concentration of 25 microgram/ml (p<0.05). In colony formation, tranilast reduced the number of colonies at a concentration of 25 microgram/ml...

We investigated the effects of treatment with tranilast on vascular and metabolic dysfunction induced by a high-fat emulsion intragastric administration. Wistar rats were randomized to receive water or high-fat emulsion with or without tranilast treatment (400 mg/kg per day) for 4 weeks. Insulin sensitivity was determined with a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp experiment and short insulin tol...

We successfully used argon plasma coagulation (APC) and tranilast to treat granulation tissue that had formed on an end-to-end tracheal anastomosis. APC had several advantages over laser in the management of exuberant granulation tissue, and we considered tranilast to be effective in our patient. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the use of APC in the management of anastomotic ...

The pathogenesis of morphea and other cutaneous sclerosing disorders remain poorly understood. Although they are considered to be autoimmune disorders, abnormal tryptophan metabolism may be involved. Current therapy is directed to supressing the autoimmune response. Demonstration of a therapeutic response to manipulation of the kynurenine pathway would both support a role for abnormal tryptopha...

BACKGROUND Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe and progressive muscle-wasting disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene that result in the absence of the membrane-stabilising protein dystrophin. Dystrophic muscle fibres are susceptible to injury and degeneration, and impaired muscle regeneration is associated with fibrotic deposition that limits the efficacy of potential pha...