Anthocyanins in Purple Corn May Help Combat Type 2 Diabetes and Kidney Disease

Researchers at the Department of Food and Nutrition and Department of Biochemistry at Hallym University in Korea have reasons to believe that purple corn anthocyanin (PCA) may be a potential protective agent of kidneys to treat diabetes-associated disease called glomerulosclerosis. In experiments conducted in vitro with human endothelial cells cultured under high sugar concentration and in vivo using diabetic mice exposed to PCA, diagnostic parameters were measured to determine possible effects.

Cell adhesion is a characteristic of glomerulosclerosis. In human endothelial cells, cell molecules that affect cell adhesion decreased in concentration when exposed to PCA, interfering cell-cell adhesion in glomeruli (parts of kidney nephron tubes that filters blood to become urine). Diabetic mice exposed to PCA showed expansion of specialized cells of the kidneys called mesangium and also interrupted cellular signaling pathway that promotes glomerular adhesion. These and other positive effects to prevent kidney disease were associated with exposure to PCA.

For more in depth description of the findings, see http://www.the-aps.org/mm/hp/Audiences/Public-Press/For-the-Press/releases/12/34.html