Clinical effect of Mudan Granules combined with pentoxifylline in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with early renal disease

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of Mudan Granules combined with pentoxifylline in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with early renal disease and analyze its impact on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway.

Methods A total of 164 patients with T2DM and early renal disease admitted to the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province between May 2022 and October 2023 were enrolled and randomly divided into observation group(n=82) and control group (n=82) using a random number table in a 1-to-1 ratio. The control group received pentoxifylline treatment, while the observation group received Mudan granules combined with pentoxifylline. The clinical effects and changes in renal function indicatorsserum creatinine (SCr), urea nitrogen, urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway indicators (TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB mRNA), and inflammation and oxidative stress indicators C-reactive protein (CRP), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.

Results The total effective rate in the observation group was 97.56%, which was higher than 89.02% in the control group (P<0.05). At 6 and 12 weeks after treatment, the levels of SCr, urea nitrogen, and UACR in both groups decreased compared with those before treatment, and the levels of these indicators in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). At 6 and 12 weeks after treatment, the levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB mRNA in both groups decreased compared with those before treatment, and the levels of these indicators in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). At 6 and 12 weeks after treatment, the levels of GSH-PX and TAC in both groups increased, while the levels of CRP, MDA, and TGF-β1 decreased compared with those before treatment. The levels of GSH-PX and TAC in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, while the levels of CRP and MDA were lower (P<0.05).

Conclusion Mudan Granules combined with pentoxifylline in the treatment of T2DM with early renal disease can improve renal function to a certain extent, regulate the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress responses, which is beneficial for disease control.