Effect of long-term administration of prostaglandin I(2) in incipient diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the primary diseases of refractory renal failure and heads the list of patients undergoing dialysis. Therefore, it is very important to get treatment in incipient nephropathy.

Twenty-seven patients in incipient diabetic nephropathy of type 2 diabetes mellitus who showed signs of microalbuminuria were randomly, but not blindly, assigned to two groups, either the beraprost sodium (PGI(2)) group or the control group, and effects of the preparation on urinary albumin excretion or other parameters were examined for 24 months.

Urinary albumin excretion was significantly decreased after 18 months in beraprost sodium group; however, there was no change in the control group. Difference was observed between the two groups after month 12; however, it was not significant (p = 0.0673 at month 24). Three factors that affect urinary albumin excretion, e.g. blood pressure, blood sugar and protein intake, were almost constant during the study period. The level of creatinine clearance was significantly decreased in beraprost sodium group after 24 months as compared with the control group.

In this study, we found that the long-term 24-month administration of PGI(2) preparation, beraprost sodium, decreased albuminuria in patients of incipient diabetic nephropathy. The possible mechanisms are that the PGI(2) may have alleviated constriction effect of angiotensin II on efferent glomerular arteriole and attenuated glomerular hyperfiltration, and inhibited growth of mesangial cells by platelet-derived growth factor as well.