Preventive effects of benfotiamine in chronic diabetic complications

Aims/Introduction: In diabetes, increased oxidative stress as a result of damage to the electron transport chain can lead to tissue injury through upregulation of multiple vasoactive factors and extracellular matrix proteins. Benfotiamine, a lipid soluble thiamine derivative, through reducing mitochondrial superoxide production, blocks multiple pathways leading to tissue damage in hyperglycemia. We investigated if treatment with benfotiamine can prevent diabetes‐induced production of vasoactive factors and extracellular matrix proteins, and whether such effects are tissue‐specific. We also examined whether effects of benfotiamine are mediated through a nuclear mechanism. Materials and Methods: Retinal, renal and cardiac tissues from the streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats were examined after 4 months of follow up. mRNA levels were quantified using real‐time RT‐PCR. Protein levels were quantified using western blot and ELISA. Cellular expressions of 8‐Hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine, a marker of nuclear DNA damage and Phospho‐H2AX were also examined. Results: Diabetic animals showed hyperglycemia, glucosuria, increased urinary albumin/creatine ratio and loss of bodyweight. In the kidneys, heart and retina, diabetes caused increased production of endothelin‐1, transforming growth factor‐β1, vascular endothelial growth factor and augmented extracellular matrix proteins (collagen, fibronectin [FN] and its splice variant extradomain B containing FN), along with evidence of structural alterations, characteristic of diabetes‐induced tissue damage. Such changes were prevented by benfotiamine. Furthermore, benfotiamine prevented diabetes‐induced oxidative DNA damage and upregulation of p300, a histone acetylator and a transcription coactivator. Conclusions: Data from the present study suggest that benfotiamine is effective in preventing tissue damage in diabetes and at the transcriptional level such effects are mediated through prevention of p300 upregulation. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040‐1124.2010.00077.x, 2010)