Role of Carnosine as an Adjuvant Therapy for Diabetic Nephropathy in Pediatrics With Type 1 Diabetes

Carnosine, a naturally-occurring dipeptide (β-alanyl-L-histidine) first described in 1900 by Gulewitsch and Amiradzibi, is found predominantly in post-mitotic tissues (e.g. brain and innervated muscle) of vertebrates . Carnosine is claimed to decrease oxygen free-radical mediated damage to cellular macromolecules either by chelating divalent cations or scavenging hydroxy radicals with its imidazole moiety. Free-radical damage is not the only process to affect the structure of proteins and nucleic acids.

To the best of our knowledge, no previous study assessed the role of carnosine in diabetes associated complications in particular diabetic nephropathy and there is insufficient evidence to recommend its supplementation in those patients. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the role of carnosine as an adjuvant therapy for diabetic nephropathy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and assess its relation to microalbuminuria, tubulointerstitial damage marker, glycemic control and oxidative stress.