Possible mitigating effect of adropin on lung injury in diabetic rats: Targeting the role of Rho A/Rho‐associated kinase pathway

This study evaluated possible mitigating effect of adropin on lung injury in diabetic rats, targeting role of Rho A/Rho‐associated kinase pathway. Rats were allocated into four groups: control, adropin, diabetic, and diabetic+adropin groups. At the termination of the experiment, serum fasting glucose, insulin and adropin levels and insulin resistance were calculated. Wet/dry ratio, histopathological, immunohistochemical analyses, and relative real time gene expression of lung tissue was determined. Interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, malondialdehyde, 8‐Oxo‐2′‐deoxyguanosine, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, Bcl‐2, BAX, myeloperoxidase, intracellular adhesion molecule‐1, vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1, and transforming growth factor‐β were determined in lung tissue. Adropin treatment in diabetic rats notably attenuated hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Also, it mitigated diabetic lung injury via suppressing effect on Rho A/ROCK pathway, apoptosis, inflammatory reactions, oxidative stress, and fibrosis of lung tissue. Adropin can be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for treating diabetic lung injury. Adropin has a beneficial role of in treating diabetic rat's lung injury. Adropin suppresses Rho A/ROCK pathway. Adropin has hypoglycemic, anti‐apoptotic, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti‐fibrotic properties. Hence, Adropin could be a novel standpoint for further investigations of possible mechanistic effects of adropin on lung injury.