Oridonin Attenuates Diabetes‑Induced Renal Fibrosis via Inhibition of the TXNIP/NLRP3 and NF‑κB Pathway in Rats

Background: Oxidative stress and its induced inflammation are important pathological processes of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Oridonin, a component isolated from Rabdosia rubescens, possesses remarkable anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory properties, it is also a newly reported NLRP3 inhibitor. However, the renoprotective effects of Oridonin and the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been explored in DN. We hypothesized that Oridonin could reduce NLRP3 pathway and ameliorate diabetes‑induced renal fibrosis. Methods: We used STZ-induced diabetic rats combined high-fat diet to establish a T2DM animal model, and then treated with Oridonin (10, 20 mg/kg/day) for two weeks. Kidney function and renal fibrosis were assessed. In addition, the expression of inflammatory factors and fibrotic markers were analyzed by western blot. Results: Oridonin treatment preserved kidney function and markedly limited the renal fibrosis size in diabetic rats. The renal fibrotic markers were inhibited in the 10 mg/kg/day group and 20 mg/kg/day group compared to the T2DM group. Moreover, the expression levels of TXNIP/NLRP3 and NF‑κB pathway were decreased in the Oridonin treatment group compared to non-treated group. Conclusions: The NLRP3-inflammasome inhibitor Oridonin reduces renal fibrosis and preserves kidney function in T2DM rat model, which indicates potential therapeutic effect of Oridonin on DN.