Danshen Modulates Nrf2-mediated Signaling Pathway in Cisplatin-induced Renal Injury

• Published in: Current medical science Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 761 - 765
• Main Author: 曹思思;颜苗;侯振彦;陈莹;蒋云生;樊新荣;方平飞;张毕奎
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wuhan Huazhong University of Science and Technology 01.10.2017; Department of Pharmacy, the Second Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha 410011, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China%Department of Pharmacy, the Second Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha 410011, China%Department of Nephrology, the Second Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Changsha 410011, China%Institute of Basic Theories of Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
• Subjects: Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; nephrotoxicity; cisplatin; Nrf2; Danshen; oxidative stress
• DOI: 10.1007/s11596-017-1801-1
• ISSN: 1672-0733; 2096-5230; 1993-1352

Danshen, an efficacious agent for cardiovascular diseases, has been found to play an essential role in kidney injury. In the present study, the effect of Danshen on cisplatin-induced renal dysfunction was investigated in a mouse model. Danshen was administered to mice at a dose of 3 g/kg 4 days before and 3 days after cisplatin treatment. A single intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg cisplatin was used to induce nephrotoxicity. The mice were sacrificed 72 h after cisplatin intoxication. Biochemical parameters including serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were analyzed. Histopathological changes of kidney tissues were detected using HE staining. Antioxidant enzymes（GSH-Px and SOD） and peroxidative product（MDA） were detected. Protein expressions of Nrf2 and its target genes including HO-1 and NQO1 were measured by Western blotting. The results showed that pretreatment with Danshen significantly reduced serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen in the cisplatin-treated mice. Histopathological examination showed that Danshen mitigated the renal damage induced by cisplatin. Moreover, Danshen restored the activities of antioxidant enzymes（GSH-Px and SOD） and normalized the MDA contents in renal tissues. Western blotting revealed that Danshen enhanced the expressions of Nrf2 and its target genes in cisplatin-exposed mice. It was suggested that Danshen protects against the cisplatin-induced renal impairment in the mice, which is potentially associated with the upregulation of Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway.