Therapeutic Effects of Tanshinone IIA towards Early Renal Damage in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Aims: The present study aims to explore the role of Tanshinone IIA administration on the protective effect of early renal damage in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Sixty-four patients with Type 2 diabetes who have not been suffered from persistent renal complaints accepted to participate. Subjects were randomly allocated in two groups of trial (oral hypoglycaemic drugs plus intravenous Tanshinone IIA 1 mg/kg daily for three week's period) and control (oral hypoglycaemic drugs). Information on microalbuminuria, serum β2-microglobulin, urine β2-microglobulin and serum cystatin C was collected from subjects. Although significant improvement was not observed between two groups in glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), the primary outcome parameters were significantly reduced.

Results: At the endpoints of observation for 21 days of Tanshinone IIA infusion, all patients in the trial group obtained reduction of the levels of microalbuminuria (p < 0.05), serum β2-microglobulin (p < 0.05), urine β2-microglobulin (p < 0.01) and serum cystatin C (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Our results suggest that Tanshinone IIA might have protective effects on early renal damage with Type 2 diabetes and improve renal function. We believe that Tanshinone IIA could be a new evidence-based therapies in diabetic nephropathy.