ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of Dangshen (DS) extract saponins alleviating apoptosis in ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) of renal grafts and the mechanism. Methods The I/R injury model in SD rats was established after kidney transplantation. The SD rats were randomly divided into the following 3 groups (n = 20): sham operation group, I/R model group, DS saponin intervention group. Blood urea nitrogen (Bun) and creatinine (Scr) levels were determined at the 24th h after operation; apoptosis index (AI) was detected by using TUNEL method; the expression of Bcl2 and bax mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. Results As compared with the sham operation group,the blood Bun and Scr levels were significantly increased in the I/R model and DS saponin intervention groups (P＜0. 05). As compared with the DS saponin intervention group, the blood Bun and Scr levels were significantly increased in the I/R group (P＜0.05). The AI was significantly increased in the I/R model group and DS saponin intervention group. After DS saponin intervention, the AI was decreased from 40. 28 % in the I/R model group to 28. 45 % in the DS saponin intervention group (P＜0. 05). The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA in DS saponin intervention group and I/R model group was significantly decreased as compared with the sham operation group (P＜0. 05), but that of Bax mRNA was significantly increased in the I/R model group and DS saponin intervention group as compared with the sham operation group (P＜0. 05). After DS saponin intervention, the expression of Bcl-2mRNA was increased from 0. 25 in the I/R model group to 0. 391 (P＜0. 05), and that of Bax mRNA was decreased from 0. 565 in the I/R model group to 0. 473 (P＜0. 05). Conclusion DS extract saponin could significantly alleviate apoptosis in the I/R injury of renal grafts possibly by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and down-regulating the expression of Bax gene.