Horm Metab Res 2015; 47(02): 97-106
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1385855
Endocrine Research
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Antiapoptotic and Antioxidant Effects of Carvedilol and Vitamin E Protect Against Diabetic Nephropathy and Cardiomyopathy in Diabetic Wistar Albino Rats

M. H. Abdel-Raheem
1   Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
,
S. U. Salim
1   Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
,
E. Mosad
2   Clinical Pathology Department (Immunohistochemistry Lab), South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
,
A. Al-Rifaay
3   Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
,
H. S. Salama
1   Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
,
H. Hasan-Ali
4   Cardiovascular Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 12 March 2014

accepted 07 July 2014

Publication Date:
08 August 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Carvedilol is a novel β-adrenoreceptor blocker, with antioxidant properties inhibiting lipid peroxidation and preventing the depletion of endogenous antioxidants. Moreover, carvedilol was reported to enhance the expression of Bcl-2 gene, which has antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects. There are few researches testing the protective effect of carvedilol on the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and nephropathy. In this study, we induced diabetes mellitus in male Wistar albino rats. We investigated carvedilol, as well as vitamin E, administrated in healthy and diabetic rats for 6 weeks to compare their effects on biochemical parameters and the expression of Bcl-2 protein in both myocardial and renal tissues by immunohistochemistry. The study showed that the diabetic rats not only had renal dysfunction and more myocardial damage, but also showed lower expression of Bcl-2 protein. Carvedilol and vitamin E treatments were associated with better renal function and less myocardial damage, lower blood glucose, and lipid peroxidation, higher antioxidant capacity, better serum lipids, and higher expression of Bcl-2 protein in diabetic rats. These results indicate that carvedilol and vitamin E treatments partly protect against myocardial and renal damage probably via their antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties in diabetic rats.