Protective Effects of Oleoylethanolamine on Diabetic Nephropathy: Role of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase/Nuclear Factor-E2-Related Factor 2 Pathway

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Oleoylethanolamine (OEA) on kidney injury in diabetic nephropathy (DN) mice. Sixty C57BL/6 mice were used, and 45 mice were induced with diabetes. Thirty diabetic mice were divided into OEA low-dose and high-dose treatment groups, receiving 5 or 20 mg/kg OEA by gavage daily for 4 weeks. OEA treatment significantly improved general conditions, increased body weight, and reduced 24 h urine protein, urinary albumin, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen levels. Inflammatory factors and renal inflammation were dramatically reduced after OEA intervention. OEA also increased antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced the increase of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde content in kidney tissues. Western blot detection revealed that OEA intervention upregulated the expression of p-AMPK and n-Nrf2 proteins in the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway in renal tissue, effectively preventing the progression of DN. The study suggests that OEA’s protective effect on kidney injury in DN mice is related to the regulation of the AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway.