Effects of astragalus on renal tubulointerestitial lesions and expression of NF-kappaB and MCP-1 in renal tissues in rat experimental IgA nephropathy / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of astragalus on tubulointerstitial lesions in rats with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and to explore the possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to three groups. The rat model of IgA nephropathy was induced by intragastric administration of bovine serum albumin and injections of LPS and CC14. Six weeks later, the rats with IgAN were randomly treated with oral astragalus (3 g/kg/d, for 6 weeks) or normal saline. Normal control rats which were not subjected to IgAN were treated with normal saline. The number of urinary erythrocytes and urinary protein and B-D-N-Acetyl glucosaminidase (NAG) contents were determined by Pan-automatic biochemistry analyzing meter. Expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in tubulointerstitial tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. A semiquantitative score was used to evaluate the degree of renal pathologic lesions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of urinary erythrocytes (74.02+/-16.58 / microL vs 383.23+/-4.94 /microL) and urinary protein (13.88+/-4.94 vs 59.82+/-14.73 mg/L) and NAG contents (2.84+/-0.31 vs 5.24+/-0.80 U/L) in the astragalus-treated IgAN rats decreased remarkably compared with those in the IgAN rats without astragalus treatment (P<0.01). Expression of the NF-kappaB and MCP-1 in the renal tissues in the IgAN rats without astragalus treatment was significantly higher than that in the astragalus-treated IgAN rats and normal control rats (P<0.01). There were significant differences in the scores of renal pathologic lesions between the IgAN rats with or without astragalus treatment (6.03+/-0.46 vs 10.57+/-1.23; P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Astragalus can decrease the number of urinary erythrocytes and urinary protein and NAG contents, and relieves tubulointerstitial lesions, possibly through the down-regulation of NF-kappaB and MCP-1 expression in rats with IgAN.</p>

Regulatory effect of Astragalus membranaceus on the immune disorder in rats with IgA nephropathy / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the regulattory effect of Astragalus membranaceus on immune disturbance of the rats with IgA nephropathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats IgA nephropathy (IgAN) model was duplicated by oral feeding of bovine serum albumin (BSA), subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and injection of lipopolysaccharide (LSP) into vena caudalis. The rats were divided into three groups randomly for the normal, IgAN model group and the group treated with Astragalus membranaceus (treatment group). The treatment group was given the Astragalus membranaceus granules via intragastric administratsion, the normal group and the IgAN model group were given the equal amount of aqua destillata by gastric perfusion. The rats were examined for albuminuria, hematuria and pathological changes of renal tissue and the distribution of TGF-beta and interleukin-5 in renal tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry and the IFN-gamma and IL-4 of cytokine of Th1 and Th2 types were detected in rats IgA nephropathy model by sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The hematuria in rats with IgA nephropathy significantly increased compared with normal control group and Astragalus treatment group (P < 0.05). There was significant increase in albuminuria in rats with IgA nephropathy, compared with normal control group and astragalus treatment group (P < 0.01). (2) The pathological change of glomerular mesangium, renal tubules and renal interstitia became serious in rats IgA nephropathy model when compared with normal control group and astragalus treatment group. Immumofluorescence showed renal IgA density in rats IgA nephropathy model was significantly higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.001) and astragalus treatment group (P < 0.001). (3) The result of immuno histochemistry showed that there was only weak expression of TGF-beta and interleukin 5 in normal renal tissue. The expression of TGF-beta and interleukin 5 in IgA nephropathy model was significantly stronger than those in normal control group (P < 0.05) and astragalus treatment group (P < 0.05). (4) The serum IL-4 levels were (33.74 +/- 7.52) pg/ml in rats IgA nephropathy model, significantly higher than that in normal control group (2.36 +/- 0.85) pg/ml and astragalus treatment group (3.24 +/- 1.13) pg/ml. The IFN-gamma level in serum of rats IgA nephropathy model was (18.79 +/- 3.80) pg/ml, which was significantly higher than that in normal control group (46.53 +/- 5.56) pg/ml and astragalus treatment group (41.28 +/- 2.95) pg/ml.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The astragalus could lower the level of hematuria and 24 hours-albuminuria of the IgAN model, and amelioratse the change of the renal pathology and reduce the deposit of IgA in glomerular mesangium. The possible mechanism of the effect is that astragalus could regulate the derangement of Th1, Th2, accordingly could improve the level of IL-4 and IFN-gamma in the serum and diminish the expression of cytokine Th2 TGF-beta1 and IL-5 of the renal tissue, and thereby could postpone the development of IgAN.</p>

Relationship between clinical manifestations and renal pathology in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study investigated the clinical manifestations and renal pathological findings of 95 children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) in order to explore the relationship between clinical manifestations and renal pathology in HSPN.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to clinical manifestations, 95 HSP patients were classified into six clinical groups: 1) normal urine analysis; 2) isolated hematuria or proteinuria; 3) proteinuria with hematuria; 4) acute nephritis; 5) nephrotic syndrome; 6) acute nephritis with over 50 mg/(kg.d) of proteinuria. The severity of the renal pathological findings was determined based on the classification of the International Study of Kidney Disease (ISKDC), including grades I-VI. The relationship between clinical manifestations and the severity of renal pathological findings was studied.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Nephrotic syndrome was the most common clinical diagnosis (26 cases), followed by proteinuria with hematuria (23 cases), normal urine analysis (20 cases), isolated hematuria or proteinuria (15 cases), acute nephritis with over 50 mg/(kg.d) of proteinuria (7 cases) and acute nephritis (4 cases). Twenty-five out of 26 patients with nephrotic syndrome had an ISKDC classification of grade III-IV. All of the four patients with acute nephrits had a classification of grade IIIb. The 7 cases of acute nephritis with over 50 mg/(kg.d) of proteinuria had a classification of grade IIIa-V. The 20 patients with normal urine analysis had a classification of grade Iia- IIIb. There were no significant differences in ISKDC classification among the patients with normal urine analysis, isolated hematuria or proteinuria, and hematuria plus proteinuria. As the course progressed, the degree of renal pathological changes in patients with isolated hematuria or proteinuria and hematuria plus proteinuria became more serious. Of all the 95 patients, 58% had co-deposition of immunoglobulins A, G and M. The percentage of co-deposition of immunoglobulins A, G and M was related to the disease course and the severity of renal pathological findings.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HSPN children with nephrotic syndrome or acute nephritis with or without proteinuria had relatively severe renal pathological changes. The clinical manifestations were not always in parallel with the severity of renal pathological findings in HSPN children. With the course progressing, the renal pathological changes tended to be serious. The severe renal pathological manifestations came with co-deposition of immunogolobulins A, G and M in the glomerulin.</p>