Efficacy, safety, and mechanism of Huangkui Capsules in treating chronic kidney disease: Meta-analysis and integrative bioinformatics / 中国中药杂志

Meta-analysis and integrative bioinformatics were employed to comprehensively study the efficacy, safety, and mechanism of Huangkui Capsules in treating chronic kidney disease(CKD). CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Huangkui Capsules for CKD from inception to January 3, 2023. The outcome indicators included urine protein, serum creatinine(Scr), and blood urea nitrogen(BUN) levels, and Cochrane Handbook 5.1 and RevMan 5.3 were employed to perform the Meta-analysis of the included RCT. The active ingredients of Huangkui Capsules were retrieved from CNKI, and the targets of CKD from GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD. Cytoscape 3.8.0 was used to build a "component-disease" network and a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network for the screening of core components and targets. Next, a differential analysis of the core targets of Huangkui Capsules for treating CKD was conducted with the clinical samples from GEO to identify the differentially expressed core targets, and correlation analysis and immune cell infiltration analysis were then performed for these targets. A total of 13 RCTs were included for the Meta-analysis, involving 2 372 patients(1 185 in the observation group and 1 187 in the control group). Meta-analysis showed that the Huangkui Capsules group and the losartan potassium group had no significant differences in reducing the urinary protein levels after 12(MD=19.60, 95%CI[-58.66, 97.86], P=0.62) and 24 weeks(MD=-66.00, 95%CI[-264.10, 132.11], P=0.51) of treatment. Huangkui Capsules in combination with conventional treatment was superior to conventional treatment alone(MD=-0.55, 95%CI[-0.86,-0.23], P=0.000 6). Huangkui Capsules combined with conventional treatment was superior to conventional treatment alone in recovering Scr(MD=-9.21, 95%CI[-15.85,-2.58], P=0.006) and BUN(MD=-1.02, 95%CI[-1.83,-0.21], P=0.01). Five patients showed clear adverse reactions, with abdominal or gastrointestinal discomfort. Huangkui Capsules had 43 active ingredients and 393 targets, and the core ingredients were myricetin, quercetin, gossypin, elaidic acid, dihydromyricetin, isochlorogenic acid B, and caffeic acid. CKD and Huangkui Capsules shared 247 common targets, including 25 core targets. The GEO differential analysis predicted 18 differentially expressed core targets, which were mainly positively correlated with immune cell expression and involved in immune inflammation, oxidative stress, pyroptosis, lipid metabolism, sex hormone metabolism, and cell repair. Conclusively, Huangkui Capsules combined with conventional treatment significantly reduced urine protein, Scr, and BUN. Huangkui Capsules alone and losartan potassium had no significant difference in reducing urine protein. This efficacy of Huangkui Capsules may be associated with the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway responses to immune inflammation and oxidative stress. The included RCT had small sample sizes and general quality. More clinical trial protocols with large sample sizes and rigorous design and in line with international norms are needed to improve the evidence quality, and the results of bioinformatics analysis remain to be confirmed by further studies.

Clinical comprehensive evaluation of Huangkui Capsules in treatment of chronic kidney diseases / 中国中药杂志

Based on Guidelines for the Management of Clinical Comprehensive Evaluation of Drugs(trial version 2021), this study aims to sort out the clinical evidence of Huangkui Capsules(HC) in the treatment of chronic kidney diseases in aspects of safety, effectiveness, economy, innovation, suitability, accessibility, and characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine( "6+1" dimensions) from real-world data, secondary literature evaluations, questionnaires, and public data, with the methods in evidence-based medicine, epidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and health technology. Furthermore, with multi-criteria decision analysis(MCDA) model and CSC v2.0, the clinical value of the medicine is comprehensively assessed. All the above are to highlight the advantages and characteristics of HC and lay a basis for scientific decision-making by the medical management department. The dimensions are graded A, B, C, or D. According to the conclusions from phase Ⅳ clinical trial, spontaneous reporting system(SRS), systematic review and Meta-analysis, acute toxicity and long-term toxicity tests, it mainly results in the adverse reactions of nausea, abdominal distension, vomiting, pruritus, rash, and good prognosis in patients. According to the available research, the safety evidence is sufficient and the risk is controllable, so the safety of this medicine is grade B. According to Meta-analysis, HC in combination with conventional drugs in the treatment of chronic kidney disease is superior to conventional drugs alone in reducing urinary protein, serum creatinine concentration, and blood urea nitrogen. In addition, HC combined angiotensin receptor blocker(ARB) or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI) is outstanding in improving total clinical effective rate, reducing 24 h urinary protein quantity, urinary albumin excretion rate, serum creatinine concentration, triglyceride, and total cholesterol in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy as compared with ARB or ACEI alone. As for chronic nephritis, the application together with ARB or ACEI can raise the total effective rate, reduce 24 h urinary protein content, serum creatinine concentration, and blood urea nitrogen, and delay the progress of the disease. HC boasts high-quality evidence in treating chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, and chronic nephritis. It has obvious clinical significance in treating chronic kidney disease and thus its efficacy in this aspect is grade B. It has outstanding clinical significance for diabetic nephropathy and chronic nephritis and corresponding and the effectiveness is grade A. As for the pharmacoeconomic value, HC combined with ARB or ACEI is more economical in the treatment of chronic kidney disease than Bailing Capsules combined with ARB or ACEI, with high-quality evidence, and thus the economy of the formula is grade B. HC is a key solution to the high urinary protein in patients with hypotension and chronic kidney disease. The innovation is evidenced by the methods to ensuring drug supply, community-level supply, drug safety, effectiveness, and reasonable price, as wells as the aspects of enterprise philosophy, equipment management, research and development in process and technology, enterprise management and marketing. Thus, the prescription is grade A in innovation. The suitability, as evidenced in drug administration, technical management, drug storage, information service, and medication, is grade B. The course of the medicine is affordable, and it is accessible in a wide range of areas and hospitals. Thus, the accessibility is grade A. HC was developed from an in-hospital preparation, with application in numerous patients and thus large-scale real-world data. As a result, HC is grade B in terms of characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. After comprehensive evaluation, the clinical value of HC in treating chronic kidney disease is class B, and that for diabetic nephropathy and chronic nephritis is class A. The result is of great reference value for the basic clinical medication management.

Huangkui capsule in combination with leflunomide improves immunoglobulin a nephropathy by inhibiting the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and potential molecular mechanism of Huangkui capsule in combination with leflunomide (HKL) for the treatment of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) METHODS: IgAN rat models were constructed by treating rats with bovine serum albumin, lipopolysaccharide, and tetrachloromethane. Th22 cells were isolated from the blood samples of patients with IgAN using a CD4+ T cell isolation kit. The expression levels of the components of the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway, namely, TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, and Smad7, were detected using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation was determined using the MTT assay, cell viability was determined using the WST 1 method, and the chemotaxis of Th22 cells was observed using the wound healing assay. Changes in the histology of the kidney tissues were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. RESULTS: Compared with IgAN rats, the rats subjected to HKL treatment showed good improvement in kidney injuries, and the combined drug treatment performed much better than the single-drug treatment. In addition, following HKL treatment, the viability, proliferation, and chemotaxis of Th22 cells dramatically decreased (*p<0.05, **p<0.01, and ***p<0.001). In addition, CCL20, CCL22, and CCL27 levels decreased and the expression of the key components of the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway was downregulated in IgAN rats and Th22 cells (*p<0.05, ***p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: By targeting the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway, HKL treatment can improve kidney injury in IgAN rats as well as the excessive proliferation and metastasis of Th22 cells.

Multi-targeted therapeutic effects of Huangkui Capsules on insulin resistance and urine microalbumin in early diabetic kidney disease patients / 中国中药杂志

To observe the multi-targeted therapeutic effects of Huangkui Capsules(HKC)on insulin resistance(IR)and urine microalbumin in the early diabetic kidney disease(DKD)patients. The case data from the 83 DKD patients at G2 and A2 stage were collected respectively and analyzed retrospectively. According to the different treatment,all patients were divided into the control(A)group(40 cases)and the treated(B)group(43 cases). Among them,the A group patients were received "routine basic treatment";the B group patients were received "routine basic treatment+HKC". For the 2 group patients,firstly,the baseline parameters before receiving the treatment were compared respectively,and then,the changes of the total scores of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes and the indicators of IR,urine protein,renal function,blood lipids and safety after receiving the treatment for 8 weeks were compared,respectively. Furthermore,for the all patients,the correlation analysis between IR and urine protein or IR and the total scores of TCM syndromes was carried out,respectively. The results showed that,for the B group patients received "routine basic treatment",their total scores of TCM syndromes,urine protein indicators including urine microalbumin(micro-UAlb) and urine microalbumin/urinary creatinine(UACR),IR indicators including fasting serum insulin(FIN)and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)were significantly improved,respectively. For the all DKD patients,before and after the treatment,the main IR indicators(FIN and HOMA-IR)were positively correlated with urine protein indicators(micro-UAlb and UACR). The main IR indicators(FIN and HOMA-IR) were also positively correlated with the total scores of TCM syndromes. In addition,2 treatments had no significant effects on renal function,blood lipids and safety indicators in the all DKD patients. Overall, "routine basic treatment+HKC" can ameliorate IR and reduce urine microalbumin in the early DKD patients. Its therapeutic targets may be not only proteinuria,but also IR,which is the upstream risk factor of proteinuria.

Effects of Huangkui Capsules on Oxidative Stress and Micro-inflammation State in Diabetic ;Nephropathy Patients with Maintenance Hemodialysis / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of Huangkui Capsules on oxidative stress and micro-inflammation state in diabetic nephropathy patients with maintenance hemodialysis. Methods Forty-six patients with diabetic nephropathy who had received maintenance hemodialysis for over six month in Gansu Provincial People's Hospital were randomly divided into observation group (23 cases) and treatment group (23 cases) from January to December in 2014. Twenty healthy subjects who had physical examinations were selected as the control group at the same time. Observation group were given conventional hemodialysis for 4 hours, 3 times a week; treatment group were given conventional hemodialysis combined with Huangkui Capsules, orally, 2.5 g each time, 3 times a day. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. Blood was collected before and after treatment for detection of hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), white blood cell (WBC), malondialdehyde (MDA), cycle of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels. Results The levels of IL-6, TNF-α, AOPP, WBC, MDA and hs-CRP were significantly higher in the observation group and the treatment group compared with the control group before treatment (P0.05). After treatment, the levels of IL-6, hs-CRP, MDA and AOPP increased in the observation group (P0.05);The levels of AOPP, TNF-α, hs-CRP, WBC, MDA and IL-6 in treatment group significantly decreased (P<0.01), GSH-Px and SOD significantly increased (P<0.01); there was statistical significance between the observation group and the treatment group (P<0.01). Conclusion Micro-inflammation state and oxidative stress exist generally in diabetic nephropathy maintenance hemodialysis patients. Huangkui Capsules can improve oxidative stress and micro-inflammation state in diabetic nephropathy maintenance hemodialysis patients.