Effect of Qiluxiaobai decoction on glomerular sclerosis in adriamycin-induced nephropathic rats

Abstract

To explore the eff ect of Qiluxiaobai (QLXB) decoction on rats with adriamycin (ADR)- induced focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS) nephropathy (ADN). Adriamycin was injected into tail vein at total dose of 7.5 mg/kg for twice per week. According to random number table, rats were divided into 4 groups: the control group, the ADN group, the Losartan group [intragastric, 5.19 mg/(kg.d)], and the QLXB group [intragastric,134.40 mg/(kg.d)]. Eight weeks later, serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum cholesterol (CHO), serum triglycerides (TG) and albuminuria (ALB) were measured by routine biochemical methods. Pathological changes in the rat kidneys were observed under light microscopes. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (FN) mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. In the ADN group, SCr, BUN, CHO, TG was increased (P<0.05) while ALB was decreased (P<0.05), ALB was decreased (P<0.05) compared to the control group. In the QLXB and Losartan group, SCr, BUN, CHO, TG and ALB was improved compared to the ADN group (P<0.05). CTGF, FN, α-SMA mRNA and protein expression was decreased in QLXB group compared to ADN group (P<0.05). QLXB could partly improve glomerular sclerosis in adriamycin-induced nephropathy, which was related to inhibition of CTGF, FN and α-SMA expression.