Hederasaponin C may be a protective measure and novel therapeutic strategy for diabetic nephropathy

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. There is great demand for the development of novel efficient therapeutic strategies or preventative measures to alleviate the life-threatening complications of type 2 diabetes.

Hederasaponin C (PB5), a natural product, has been reported to exhibit significant therapeutic effects in various diseases; however, the possible effects and mechanism underlying PB5 in reducing diabetic renal complications have not been comprehensively reported. The authors of this article investigated the response of murine diabetic models to PB5 treatment using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and proteomics. The findings reveal the dynamic transcriptional changes of renal cells in response to diabetic nephropathy. PB5 alleviated inflammatory injury by partially reducing pathophysiologic processes.

In addition, severe glomerular lesions and functional deficiencies were observed, including GBM thickening and podocyte dysfunction, during the progression of diabetes, which were likewise attenuated by PB5. These results provide insight into how PB5 treatment improves diabetic symptoms and possibly serves as a novel protective measure and therapeutic strategy in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.