Crocin ameliorates peritoneal fibrosis in rat induced by peritoneal dialysis via Wnt5a/β-Catenin pathway

Abstract

Peritoneal dialysis is used in the treatment of patients with kidney diseases. Long-term peritoneal dialysis could result in peritoneal fibrosis and recurrent peritonitis, thus leading to failure of ultrafiltration. Crocin is a bioactive carotenoid and isolated from stigma of Crocus sativus, and ameliorates pulmonary and myocardial fibrosis. The role of crocin in peritoneal fibrosis was assessed. Firstly, rats model with peritoneal dialysis was treated with 4.25% peritoneal dialysate. Results showed that injection with peritoneal dialysate induced obvious hyperplasia and increased thickness in peritoneum structure. Rats with peritoneal dialysis were injected with increasing concentrations of crocin at 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg. Crocin ameliorated the pathological changes in the peritoneum of peritoneal dialysate-induced rats. Secondly, crocin attenuated peritoneal dialysate-induced decrease of E-cadherin, increase of fibronectin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen I. Moreover, crocin enhanced ultrafiltration volume and reduced glucose transport in rats model with peritoneal dialysis. Thirdly, crocin also reduced levels of Interleukin (IL)-1β, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF –α), and IL-6 in peritoneal tissues of rats model with peritoneal dialysis. Lastly, protein expression of Wnt5a and β-Catenin in rats model with peritoneal dialysis were also downregulated by crocin. In conclusion, crocin exerted anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects on rats model with peritoneal dialysis through inactivation of Wnt5a/β-Catenin pathway.