Abstract

Background and Aim: Diabetes is a metabolic disease with high blood sugar levels. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are able to express various growth factors and integrin-linked kinase (ILK) plays an important role in regulating various processes of cells. In this study, we investigated the effects of silybinin on the expression of vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and ILK under normal and high glucose conditions in OECs. Materials and Methods: In this study, OECs were extracted from the olfactory mucosa of neonatal rats and cultured. Low (1,5M) and high (50,75 µM) concentrations of silybinin were added to the cell culture media under normal and high glucose conditions. At the end of the study, we measured the expression of VEGF and ILK proteins using western blot technique. Data were analyzed by ANOVA test. Results: Under high glucose conditions, low concentrations of silybinin maintained expression and at high concentrations silybinin caused a dose-dependent decrease in ILK significantly. However, under high glucose conditions, low concentrations of silybinin significantly decreased expression of VEGF but high concentrations of silybinin caused a significant dose-dependent increase in VEGF expression. Conclusion: High glucose condition increased ILK and VEGF expression in the OECs, and treatment with lower concentrations of silybinin maintained ILK expression and decreased VEGF expression. Therefore, it seems that lower concentrations of silybinin can be effective in protecting cells from cytotoxicity due to diabetes hyperglycemia by stabilizing ILK and reducing VEGF levels. © 2018 the Author (s).