Shen-Kang protects against tacrolimus-induced renal injury

  • Long Ye Zhang
  • , Jian Jin
  • , Kang Luo
  • , Shang Guo Piao
  • , Hai Lan Zheng
  • , Ji Zhe Jin
  • , Sun Woo Lim
  • , Bum Soon Choi
  • , Chul Woo Yang
  • , Can Li

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background/Aims: Evidence suggests that Shen-Kang (SK), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, protects against various types of renal injury. In this study, we evaluated whether SK treatment confers renoprotection in a rat model of chronic tacrolimus (TAC) nephropathy. Methods: Rats were treated daily with TAC (1.5 mg/kg, subcutaneously) and SK (450 mg/kg, intravenously) for 4 weeks. The effects of SK on TAC-induced renal injury were assessed by measuring renal function, urine albumin excretion, histopathology, inflammatory cell infiltration, expression of profibrotic (transforming growth factor β1 [TGF-β1] and TGF-β inducible gene-h3 [βig-h3]) and proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and apoptotic cell death. Results: Administration of SK preserved glomerular integrity (fractional mesangial area and Wilms tumor 1-positive glomeruli), attenuated tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and reduced the number of ectodermal dysplasia 1-positive cells, and this was paralleled by improved urine albumin excretion and renal dysfunction. At the molecular level, SK treatment suppressed expression of TGF-β1/Smad2/3, βig-h3, and proinflammatory cytokines. Oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death were significantly decreased with SK treatment, and apoptosis-related genes were regulated toward cell survival (active caspase-3 and the B-cell lymphoma-2/Bcl2-associated X [Bcl-2/Bax] ratio). Conclusions: SK protects against TAC-induced renal injury.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1078-1090
Number of pages13
JournalKorean Journal of Internal Medicine
Volume34
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Korean Association of Internal Medicine.

Keywords

  • Apoptosis
  • Oxidative stress
  • Shen-Kang
  • Tacrolimus
  • Transforming growth factor beta1

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