Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets on renal function and the expression of aldosterone synthase(CYP11B2) and 11β-steroid dehydrogenase(11β-HSD2)genes in rats with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
METHODS Rat model with FSGS was established by unilateral nephrectomy combined with adriamycin injection into the tail vein. The experiment were randomly divided into five groups that was control group, model group, Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets group, combined intervention(Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets+eplerenone) group and eplerenone group, each intervention group was intragastrically administered at the corresponding dose, once a day for 10 weeks. Urine protein, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels was determined, HE staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the changes of renal tissue pathological damage. RT-PCR detected the expression of CYP11B2 and 11β-HSD2 in kidney tissues.
RESULTS Compared with the model group, the 24 h urine protein and serum cholesterol of FSGS rats in Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets group decreased significantly(
P<0.05 or
P<0.01), and serum albumin increased significantly(
P<0.01). The serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, triglyceride, cholesterol, and 24 h urine protein of FSGS rats in eplerenone group were significantly decreased compared with the model group(
P<0.05 or
P<0.01), and serum albumin was significantly higher than the model group(
P<0.01). HE staining showed basement membrane thickening and mesangial matrix hyperplasia were reduced in Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets group. The result of transmission electron microscopy showed that the degree of foot process fusion in the Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets group was alleviated compared with the model group. RT-PCR results showed that Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets intervention could down-regulate CYP11B2 expression. There was no significant synergistic effect in the combined intervention group.
CONCLUSION Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets can significantly improve renal function damage in FSGS rats, reduce renal tissue pathological damage, and delay the progression of FSGS. In this experiment, the synergistic effect is not observed in the combined intervention of the Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets and the eplerenone.