Low-doses of fenofibrate and dipyridamole have pleiotropic renoprotective actions in diabetic rats. This study investigated their combined effect relative to their individual treatments and lisinopril in rats with diabetic nephropathy. Streptozotocin (55mg/kg, i.p., once)-administered diabetic rats were allowed for 10 weeks to develop nephropathy. Diabetic rats after 10 weeks developed nephropathy with discernible renal structural and functional changes as assessed in terms of increase in kidney weight to body weight ratio (KW/BW), and elevations of serum creatinine, urea and uric acid, which accompanied with elevated serum triglycerides and decreased high-density lipoproteins. Hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid Schiff and Masson trichrome staining confirmed renal pathological changes in diabetic rats that included glomerular capsular wall distortion, mesangial cell expansion, glomerular microvascular condensation, tubular damage and degeneration and fibrosis. Low-dose fenofibrate (30mg/kg, p.o., 4 weeks) and low-dose dipyridamole (20mg/kg, p.o., 4 weeks) treatment either alone or in combination considerably reduced renal structural and functional abnormalities in diabetic rats, but without affecting the elevated glucose level. Fenofibrate, but not dipyridamole, significantly prevented the lipid alteration and importantly the uric acid elevation in diabetic rats. Lisinopril (5mg/kg, p.o., 4 weeks, reference compound), prevented the hyperglycemia, lipid alteration and development of diabetic nephropathy. Lipid alteration and uric acid elevation, besides hyperglycemia, could play key roles in the development of nephropathy. Low-doses of fenofibrate and dipyridamole treatment either alone or in combination markedly prevented the diabetes-induced nephropathy. Their combination was as effective as to their individual treatment, but not superior in preventing the development of diabetic nephropathy.
Fenofibrate and rosuvastatin at low doses might have experimental pleiotropic benefits. This study investigated the combined effect of low doses of fenofibrate and rosuvastatin in isoproterenol-induced experimental myocardial infarction. Rats administered isoproterenol (85 mg/kg/day, s.c.) for 2 days (day 29 and day 30) of 30 days experimental protocol developed significant myocardial infarction that was accompanied with high myocardial oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, elevated serum markers of cardiac injury, lipid abnormalities, and elevated circulatory levels of C-reactive protein. Pretreatment with low doses of fenofibrate (30 mg/kg/day p.o., 30 days) and rosuvastatin (2 mg/kg/day p.o., 30 days) both alone or in combination markedly prevented isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction and associated abnormalities while the low-dose combination of fenofibrate and rosuvastatin was more effective. Histopathological study in isoproterenol control rat heart showed necrosis with edema and acute inflammation at the margins of necrotic area. The rat heart from low-dose fenofibrate and rosuvastatin pretreated group showed scanty inflammation and no ischemia. In conclusion, fenofibrate and rosuvastatin pretreatment in low doses might have a therapeutic potential to prevent the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction. Moreover, their combined treatment option might offer superior therapeutic benefits via a marked reduction in myocardial infarct size and oxidative stress, suggesting a possibility of their pleiotropic cardioprotective action at low doses.
Nanoemulsions (NMs) are one of the most important colloidal dispersion systems that are primarily used to improve the solubility of poorly water soluble drugs. The main objectives of this study were, first, to prepare an NM loaded with fenofibrate using a high shear homogenization technique and, second, to study the effect of variable using a central composite design. Twenty batches of fenofibrate-loaded NM formulations were prepared. The formed NMs were subjected to droplet size analysis, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, pH, dilution, polydispersity index, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and in vitro drug release study. Analysis of variance was used for entrapment efficiency data to study the fitness and significance of the design. The NM-7 batch formulation demonstrated maximum entrapment efficiency (81.82%) with lowest droplet size (72.28 nm), and was thus chosen as the optimized batch. TEM analysis revealed that the NM was well dispersed with droplet sizes <100 nm. Incorporation of the drug into the NM was confirmed with DSC studies. In addition, the batch NM-7 also showed the maximum in vitro drug release (87.6%) in a 0.05 M sodium lauryl sulfate solution. The release data revealed that the NM followed first-order kinetics. The outcomes of the study revealed the development of a stable oral NM containing fenofibrate using the high shear homogenization technique. This approach may aid in further enhancing the oral bioavailability of fenofibrate, which requires further in vivo studies.