Objective To investigate whether sFLT-1, a VEGF-A inhibitor, can reverse renal function damage in type 1 diabetes mice by inhibiting the activation of vascular endothelial cells and inflammatory response.
Methods C57BL/6 female mice aged 8 weeks were divided into 5 weeks: healthy control group (n=5), diabetes group (n=5), 15 weeks: healthy control group (n=5), diabetes group (n=5), control+sFLT-1 treatment group (n=5), and diabetes+sFLT-1 treatment group (n=5). The type 1 diabetes model was established by abdominal injection of streptozotocin (75 mg/kg), and sFLT-1 treatment was started at the 6th week after modeling. The pathological damage, macrophage infiltration, activation of glomerular endothelial cells and the level of inflammation were observed before and after sFLT-1 treatment.
Results Compared with the model group, sFLT-1 transfection significantly reduced the content of glomerular mesangial matrix (i.e. the level of glomerular type IV collagen) (P<0.001), the infiltration of glomerular macrophages (P<0.001), the activation of glomerular endothelial cells (P<0.001), and the cause of death of glomerular tumors- α Level (P<0.001), so as to significantly inhibit the renal injury of diabetes, and sFLT-1 can reduce the activation of endothelial cells induced by vascular endothelial growth factor-A in vitro (P<0.001).
Conclusion sFLT-1 may reduce endothelial activation and glomerular inflammation by inhibiting VEGF-A, and ultimately reverse diabetes related renal damage, which is a new therapeutic direction for diabetes nephropathy.