Effect of saffor (Carthamus tinctorius) injection on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect and mechanism of saffor injection on renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Seventy-five SD rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 15, in each), normal control groups, I/R control groups, low-dose treatment groups, middle-dose treatment groups and high-dose treatment groups. After rat's I/R injury model was established, renal function was assessed by measuring serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, urine osmotic pressure and urine osmotic pressure/blood osmotic pressure, the apoptosis rate in I/R renal tissure was measured by TUNEL method and caspase-3 concentration was measured by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Reperfusion of the ischemic kidney induced marked renal dysfunction. Saffor injection significantly inhibited the reperfusion-associated increase in apoptosis rate and caspase-3 protein absorbance value. Moreover, the renal dysfunction at all treatment groups was markedly ameliorated by Saffor injection. (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results show that saffor injection significantly reduces the renal dysfunction and injury caused by I/R of the kidney, And the protective effect of Saffor injection may be related to the inhibition of cell apoptosis and caspase-3 gene expression following renal I/R.</p>