Involvement of collagen IV (ColIV) and fibronectin (FN) in the occurrence and development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and the effects of telmisartan and Salvia miltiorrhiza injection in the treatment of the patients were investigated. Two hundred and fifty-eight patients with stage IV DN were selected as the case group, and another 110 normal healthy subjects were incorporated as the control group. Involved patients were subdivided into different groups according to different treatment therapies; patients in the telmisartan group (T group) were given oral telmisartan; patients in the Salvia miltiorrhiza injection + telmisartan (S + T group) were administered with Salvia miltiorrhiza injection combined with telmisartan treatment, and there was a group of patients who received no intervention as the placebo group. After intervention, levels of glycemic indexes and renal damage indexes indicated downwards trends both in the T group and the S + T group when compared to the placebo group; besides, levels in the S + T group were much lower than those in the T group (all P<0.05). Additionally, in comparison among the above three intervention groups, differences in the fasting blood glucose, 2 h post-prandial blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and urinary albumin excretion rate were significant after treatment (all P<0.05). Further, before intervention, both Co1IV and FN in the urine were increased in the case group compared to the control group (all P<0.05). After intervention, both levels were apparently decreased. There were remarkable differences of Co1IV and FN levels in the urine when compared among three different intervention groups after treatment (P<0.05). Increased ColIV and FN levels may be partially responsible for the development of DN. Salvia miltiorrhiza injection with telmisartan have beneficial synergistic effects for DN patients through attenuating the increase in ColIV and FN, reversing hyperglycemia state and postponing ultrastructure changes of glomerular basement membrane.
Keywords: Salvia miltiorrhiza injection; collagen IV; diabetic nephropathy; fibronectin; glomerular basement membrane; telmisartan.