The Effect of Crocin and Losartan on Biochemical Parameters and Oxidative Stress Markers in Diabetic Nephropathy Rats Model

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) globally. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Crocin and Losartan on DN in diabetic rats. Methods: A single dose of Streptozotocin (50 mg/kg IP) was administered to 40 male Wistar rats to induce diabetes. Crocin and Losartan (50 and 25 mg/kg, respectively) were given orally for four weeks. The study groups were untreated control, Diabetes, Crocin, Losartan, and Losartan-Crocin. At the end of the intervention, blood was tested for FBS, urea, UA, Cr, albumin, TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TAC, and MDA. Results: Serum levels of FBS, urea, UA, TG, TC, and LDL-C increased significantly in the diabetic group compared to the untreated control group (P = 0.001), while albumin and HDL-C decreased significantly (P = 0.001). In the Crocin group, serum FBS, urea, TG, TC, and LDL-C levels were significantly lower than the diabetic group (P = 0.001), while serum albumin levels were significantly higher (P = 0.02). Serum levels of TAC and MDA in the Losartan group increased (P=0.04) and decreased significantly (P = 0.001) compared to the diabetic group, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that Crocin could control hyperglycemia and prevent DN progression. It appears that combining Losartan with sufficient doses of Crocin improves its efficacy. However, understanding the exact mechanism of these changes requires further studies.