Figure 3.

Nec-1 treatment ameliorates renal dysfunction in DKD mice. (a–d) Nec-1 (1.65 mg/kg/d for 16 weeks) treatment substantially reduces the increased urine microalbuminuria, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) in mice serum as detected by ELISA. (e) H&E-stained sections revealing that Nec-1 treatment significantly improves the pathological changes in DKD, such as mesangial cell proliferation, matrix increase, basement membrane thickening, and increase in interstitial inflammatory cells. Scale bar: 50 μm and 100 μm. (f) Masson's staining showing the renal fibrosis in mice with DKD improved significantly after treatment with Nec-1. Scale bar: 50 μm.