Objective: The effects of fenofibrate on the kidneys of diabetic rats were investigated by measuring the inflammatory responses associated with transcription factor nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappa B) pathway. Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control, diabetes control and diabetes + fenofibrate (10 in each group). The expression of NF-kappa B p65, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in renal cortex was detected by Western blot, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Blood lipid profiles, glucose, and urine albumin were measured as well. Results: The expression of NF-kappa B, p65, PAI-1, and ICAM-1 was significantly higher in the diabetes control than those in the normal control, and treatment with fenofibrate inhibited the increased expression of these factors in kidneys by 48.18%, 35.04%, and 26.41%, respectively when compared with the diabetes control, although they were still higher in diabetes + fenofibrate than those in the normal control. Correspondingly, the profiles of lipid were significantly elevated in the diabetes control compared with the normal control, and decreased significantly in diabetes + fenofibrate. Conclusions: Fenofibrate exhibited a downregulating effect on the NF-kappa B pathway in diabetic kidneys, implying that fenofibrate could be a potential treatment for diabetic nephropathy.
