Effect of Oral carnosine supplementation on urinary TGF-β in diabetic nephropathy: a randomized controlled trial

What this study found

Oral carnosine produced a favorable change in the primary renal biomarker, with urinary TGF-beta decreasing by 17.8% from baseline versus a 16.9% increase with placebo, a between-group difference that was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Albuminuria did not improve significantly: UACR rose by 10.83% in the carnosine group versus 41.46% with placebo, but the between-group comparison was not significant (P = 0.324; 95% CI -31.48 to 92.76). Other metabolic and clinical measures, including blood pressure, glycemia, lipids, and kidney function, remained unchanged over 12 weeks. No adverse…

Study & population

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults with type 2 diabetes, albuminuric diabetic nephropathy, and stable renin-angiotensin system blockade.

Intervention

Adults with type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy received oral carnosine 2 g/day for 12 weeks, given as gelatin capsules split into 500 mg after breakfast and 500 mg after dinner.

Key limitation

The trial was small, with only 20 participants in the carnosine arm, and treatment lasted just 12 weeks.

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