Astragalus-Saffron-Rhubarb Mixture Delays the Progress of Diabetic Nephropathy in db/db Mice

• Published in: Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity Vol. 14; pp. 4679 - 4690
• Main Authors: Zhou, Xiao-Chun, Liang, Yao-Jun, Qin, Long, Wei, Guo-Hua, Wang, Jian-Qin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Albumin; Analysis; Animals; Blood sugar; Body weight; Chinese medicine; Creatinine; Cytokines; Diabetes; Diabetic nephropathies; Diabetic nephropathy; Drug dosages; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzymes; Glucose; inflammatory factors; Kidney diseases; Original Research; traditional chinese medicine; treatment; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Type 2 diabetes; Urea; China; United States > US; treatment; traditional Chinese medicine; inflammatory factors; diabetic nephropathy
• ISSN: 1178-7007; 1178-7007
• DOI: 10.2147/DMSO.S334662

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of astragalus-saffron-rhubarb mixture (Bao'shen recipe, BSR) on diabetic nephropathy (DN) in db/db mice and preliminarily explore the possible underlying mechanism. A total of 125 8-week-old male db/db mice with DN were randomly divided into five groups: model group, irbesartan group and high-, medium- and low doses of BSR group, while 25 male db/m mice were used as a blank control. At 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks of feeding, the animals were sacrificed and blood as well as urine samples were collected for blood glucose, urea nitrogen, creatinine and urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) measurement via blood glucose meter or corresponding detection kits, respectively. The renal tissues of each mouse underwent hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining. Renal homogenate was used to detect IL-6, TNF-α, TNF-1R and TNF-2R by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, the data obtained was statistically analyzed via one-way analysis of variance. BSR could effectively reduce the body weight, blood glucose, UAER, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, relieve the proliferation of mesangial tissue, and lower the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, TNF-1R, and TNF-2R in renal tissue of db/db mice with DN. Of note, the high-dose BSR treatment group has advantages over irbesartan treatment group in improving above-mentioned aspects. BSR could effectively delay the progress of DN, partly related to its anti-inflammation effect.