## 3 Results
regularis_ (150 or 300 mg/kg for 4 consecutive weeks) on diabetic-induced changes in serum total cholesterol (**a**), triglycerides (**b**), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) (**c**) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol levels) (**d**). Data are expressed as means \(\pm\) SE (\(n=6\)) and were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Student Newman–Keuls as post hoc test. * Control vs. STZ group; # STZ vs. _L. regularis_ (150) or _L. regularis_ (300). # \(p<0.05\), ## \(p<0.01\), *** or ### \(p<0.001\). Figure 4: Effect of _L. regularis_ (150 or 300 mg/kg for 4 consecutive weeks) on diabetic-induced changes in renal proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) (**a**), interleukin-6 (IL-6) (**b**) and tumor necrosis factor-\(\alpha\) (TNF-\(\alpha\)) (**c**). Data are expressed as means \(\pm\) SE (\(n=6\)) and were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Student Newman–Keuls as post hoc test. * Control vs. STZ group; # STZ vs. _L. regularis_ (150) or _L. regularis_ (300). *** \(p<0.01\), *** \(p<0.001\). Figure 3: Effect of _L. regularis_ (150 or 300 mg/kg for 4 consecutive weeks) on diabetic-induced changes in serum proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-\(\alpha\) (TNF-\(\alpha\)) (**a**), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) (**b**) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (**c**). Data are expressed as means \(\pm\) SE (\(n=6\)) and were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Student Newman–Keuls as post hoc test. * Control vs. STZ group; # STZ vs. _L. regularis_ (150) or _L. regularis_ (300). *** or _###_p_ \(<0.001\). Oxidative stress biomarkers such as thiobarbituric acid reaction substances (TBARS) and glutathione (GSH) levels were estimated in renal tissue homogenate using commercially available ELISA assay kits. TBARS levels were significantly increased (\(p\) < 0.001), whereas GSH levels were significantly decreased (\(p\) < 0.001) in STZ-treated rats compared to control animals. Treatment with \(L\). _regularis_ (150 or 300 mg/kg/day) significantly reduced TBARS levels (\(p\) < 0.01), while GSH levels were significantly increased (\(p\) < 0.05) compared to the STZ- and vehicle-treated group (Figure 5). Enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in renal tissues were measured (Figure 6). Antioxidative enzymatic activities were significantly reduced in STZ-treated rats compared to the control group (\(p\) < 0.001). Treatment with \(L\). _regularis_ (150 or 300 mg/kg/day) significantly increased the enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT and GR compared to the STZ- and vehicle-treated group (\(p\) < 0.05 and \(p\) < 0.01, respectively) (Figure 6a,b,d). GPx enzymatic activity was significantly increased following treatment with the higher dose of \(L\). _regularis_ (\(p\) < 0.05) (Figure 6c). Both doses of \(L\). _regularis_ significantly increased the enzymatic activity of GST compared to the STZ- and vehicle-treated group (\(p\) < 0.01) (Figure 6e). Light micrographs of the renal cortex of STZ-induced diabetic rats treated with \(L\). _regularis_ (150 or 300 mg/kg/day) are presented in Figure 7. Normal architecture of Bowman's capsules, glomeruli, proximal convoluted tubules and distal convoluted tubules were observed in sections of the renal cortex from control animals (Figure 7A). Vacuolar degeneration, necrosis, narrowed glomeruli and mononuclear cell infiltration were observed in sections of the renal cortex from STZ-treated rats (Figure 7B). However, upon treatment with \(L\). _regularis_ (150 mg/kg/day), sections of renal cortex of diabetic rats demonstrated a moderate improvement of pathologies in the kidney glomeruli and renal tubules (Figure 7C). Reversal of STZ-induced abnormalities in kidney histology was observed in sections of the renal cortex of diabetic rats treated with the higher dose of \(L\). _regularis_ (Figure 7D). Figure 5: Effect of \(L\).