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Antifibrotic effect of the Chinese herbs Modified Danggui Buxue Decoction (加味当归补血汤) on adriamycin-induced nephropathy in rats

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the antifibrotic effect of the Chinese herbs Modified Danggui Buxue Decoction (加味当归补血汤, MDBD) on adraimycin-induced nephropathy in rats.

Methods

Thirty-two male Sprague Dawley albino rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control, model, and two treatment groups, with 8 in each group. Nephropathy was induced in the latter 3 groups by intravenous injection of adriamycin. Rats in the two treatment groups received intragastric administration of benazepri (a positive control) or MDBD, which is composed of extracts of Radix Angelicae sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge and Rhizoma chuanxiong. Serum albumin, blood lipids, 24-h urine protein and urine N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were measured every 2 weeks. The ratio of kidney to body weight was measured. The expressions of extracellular matrix proteins in the renal cortex, including colleagen IV (Col-IV) and fibronectin (FN), were examined by immunohistochemistry, and the transcription of genes encoding transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), the tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the end of the 8-week treatment.

Results

Compared with the untreated rats in the model group, MDBD significantly increased serum albumin, lowered the blood lipids and decreased the ratio of kidney to body weight. MDBD significantly reduced the excretion levels of urinary protein and NAG as well as the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), including Col-IV and FN, in the renal cortex. Further, MDBD decreased TIMP-1 and TGF-β1 gene expressions and increased MMP-9 gene expression in the kidney.

Conclusions

MDBD was effective in treating the rat model of nephropathy. The clinical benefit was associated with reduction of renal fibrosis. The antifibrotic effect of MDBD may be mediated through the regulation of TIMP-1, MMP and TGF-β1 gene expressions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, Jiangsu Province, China

    Ming-gang Wei  (魏明刚) & Pei-hua Xiong  (熊佩华)

  2. The Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, 210029, China

    Wei Sun  (孙 伟) & Jia-de Shao  (邵家德)

Authors
  1. Ming-gang Wei  (魏明刚)
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  2. Wei Sun  (孙 伟)
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  3. Pei-hua Xiong  (熊佩华)
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  4. Jia-de Shao  (邵家德)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ming-gang Wei  (魏明刚).

Additional information

Supported by the Grant from Soochow University Natural Science Foundation of Young Teacher (No. Q3122937) and the Natural Science Foundation of Bureau of Science and Technology of Suzhou (No. SYS201016)

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Wei, Mg., Sun, W., Xiong, Ph. et al. Antifibrotic effect of the Chinese herbs Modified Danggui Buxue Decoction (加味当归补血汤) on adriamycin-induced nephropathy in rats. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 18, 591–598 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0816-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0816-x

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