Pharmacological study on the possible involvement of a Nrf2 -Heme oxygenase pathways in anti-cataract activity of fisetin

DM otherwise diabetes is now a days an epidemic with the percentage of patient population rising to almost 10% of the world population. Out of all the DM complications, cataract leads the way contributing to disabilities to about 60% of diabetic population. But the pathogenesis of DM cataract is still a half-understood area of medicine there by posing a problem in the therapy. The data that we have till now gives us enough evidence to advocate the oxidative stress has a major role for the pathogenesis of DM complications like DMnephropathy, DMneuropathy, and cardiac hypertrophy, which suggests the oxidative stress is a central feature of diabetes. In the current research, the pharmacological evaluation of Fisetin for its DM based anti-cataract property was performed. This research concentrates to estimate the possible involvement of Nrf-2 / heme oxygenase (HO)-pathway in the observed therapeutic effect, if any. The data obtained in this study also indicate that the observed beneficial effects mainly due to activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. These effects probably result in increased tissue anti-oxidant status as well as decreased free radical production, which ultimately responsible for the observed beneficial effects of Fisetin against hyperglycemia-induced cataract.