Protective Effect of Fuzi-Jingmi Decoction on Hydrocortisone-induced Kidney-Yang Deficiency Model Rats

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of Fuzi-Jingmi decoction on hydrocortisone-induced Kidney-Yang deficiency rats.

METHODS SD rats were intramuscularly injected with hydrocortisone injection daily for 10 consecutive days to establish the model of Kidney-Yang deficiency. During the modeling period, rats were given Fuzi-Jingmi decoction(2.0, 4.0, 8.0 g·kg⁻¹) by gavage respectively for 5 weeks. During the experiment, the body sign indicators of rats(body weight, morphology, grip strength, spontaneous activity frequency, back temperature, face temperature, open field test, sucrose preference and sperm quality) were detected. Blood was collected to detect hematological indicators, blood biochemical indicators, and serum hormone levels corticotropin-releasing hormone(CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) and cortisol(CORT). The wet weight and coefficient of the kidney, testis, epididymis and seminal vesicle were measured. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the kidney tissue. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of aquaporin-1(AQP1) and aquaporin-2(AQP2) proteins in the kidney. qPCR was used to detect the expression of AQP1 and AQP2 mRNA in the kidney.

RESULTS  ①Physical sign indicators: Fuzi-Jingmi decoction could increase the grasping force, spontaneous activity frequency, back temperature, facial temperature and sucrose preference rate of model rats, improve toe swelling and sperm quality; ②Hematological indicators: increase red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet indicators, increase the number and proportion of lymphocytes, and decrease the number and proportion; on of neutrophils; ③Blood biochemical indicators: reduce serum CR and UA levels; ④Hormone levels: increase serum CRH, ACTH and CORT hormone levels; ⑤Wet coefficient of organs: increase the coefficient of the kidney; ⑥Histomorphology: improve renal tissue lesions; ⑦Expression of renal aquaporin receptors: increase the expression of AQP1 and AQP2 protein and mRNA in the kidney.

CONCLUSION Fuzi-Jingmi decoction can improve the Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome of hydrocortisone-induced Kidney-Yang deficiency rats, such as soreness and weakness of waist and knee, cold and cold limbs, decreased libido, and lethargy, and can also improve the kidney water-promoting function. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis and the expression of aquaporins AQP1 and AQP2 in kidney.