Catalpol from Rehmannia glutinosa Targets Nrf2/NF-κB Signaling Pathway to Improve Renal Anemia and Fibrosis

• Published in: The American journal of Chinese medicine (1979) Vol. 52; no. 5; p. 1451
• Main Authors: Liu, Zhi-Hui, Xu, Qing-Yang, Wang, Yu, Gao, Hong-Xin, Min, Ya-Hong, Jiang, Xiao-Wen, Yu, Wen-Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore 2024
• Subjects: Anemia - drug therapy; Anemia - etiology; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Fibrosis; Iridoid Glucosides - isolation & purification; Iridoid Glucosides - pharmacology; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - metabolism; Kidney - pathology; Kidney Diseases - drug therapy; Kidney Diseases - etiology; Kidney Diseases - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 - metabolism; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Phytotherapy; Rats; Rehmannia - chemistry; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Renal Anemia; Raw Rehmannia; Renal Fibrosis; Catalpol; Aristolochic Acid I; Nrf2/NF-κB
• ISSN: 1793-6853
• DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X24500575

is widely recognized as a prominent medicinal herb employed by practitioners across various generations for the purpose of fortifying kidney yin. Within , the compound known as catalpol (CAT) holds significant importance as a bioactive constituent. However, the protective effects of CAT on kidneys, including ameliorative effects on chronic kidney disease - most prominently renal anemia and renal fibrosis - have not been clearly defined. In this study, the kidney injury model of NRK-52E cells and C57BL/6N male mice was prepared by exposure to aristolochic acid I (AA-I), and it was discovered that CAT could ameliorate oxidative stress injury, inflammatory injury, apoptosis, renal anemia, renal fibrosis, and other renal injuries both and . Further treatment of NRK-52E cells with Nrf2 inhibitors (ML385) and activators (ML334), as well as NF-κB inhibitors (PDTC), validated CAT's ability to target Nrf2 activation. Furthermore, the expression of phosphorylated NF-κB p65, IL-6, and Cleaved-Caspase3 protein was inhibited. CAT also inhibited NF-κB, and then inhibited the expression of IL-6, p-STAS3, TGF-β1 protein. Therefore, CAT can regulate Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway, significantly correct renal anemia and renal fibrosis, and is conducive to the preservation of renal structure and function, thus achieving a protective effect on the kidneys.