A recombinant TGF-β1 vaccine ameliorates diabetic nephropathy in OLETF rats

Immunotherapy. 2016 Sep;8(9):1045-57. doi: 10.2217/imt-2015-0005.

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of a recombinant vaccine encoding TGF-β1 in OLETF rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Methods: OLETF rats were treated with vehicle or TGF-β1 vaccine. LETO rats were used as normal controls. At 42 weeks after immunization with vaccine, samples from blood, urine and kidney were collected for biochemical, histologic, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses.

Results: OLETF rats treated with the vaccine reduced blood glucose levels, improved renal pathological changes, and inhibited overexpression of TGF-β1 and p-Smad3, as well as MCP-1, TNF-α and IL-1β.

Conclusion: TGF-β1 vaccine attenuated diabetic nephropathy in OLETF rats through reduction of inflammation, improvement of kidney fibrosis and partial correction of glucose metabolism.

Keywords: OLETF rats; diabetic nephropathy; transforming growth factor beta 1; vaccine.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / immunology*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / prevention & control
  • Diabetic Nephropathies / immunology*
  • Diabetic Nephropathies / prevention & control
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fibrosis
  • Humans
  • Inflammation Mediators / metabolism
  • Kidney / pathology*
  • Male
  • Phosphorylation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred OLETF
  • Smad3 Protein / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / genetics
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / metabolism*
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology*

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Cytokines
  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Smad3 Protein
  • Smad3 protein, rat
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta1
  • Vaccines, Synthetic