Effect of Shenkang-Ⅱ on Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal Axis in Nephrotic Syndrome Rats during Glucocorticoids Withdrawal / 中国中医药信息杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effect of Shenkang-Ⅱ on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) in nephrotic syndrome rats during high-dose glucocorticoids withdrawal, and provide a theoretical basis for clinical application of Shenkang-Ⅱ during the withdrawing and maintaining stages of glucocorticoids in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome. Methods The models of nephrotic syndrome in rats were established with adriamycin, and treated with high-dose glucocorticoid which can cause HPA axis suppression. After the HPA axis was suppressed, the hormone was reduced gradually. At the same time, the rats were treated by intragastric administration with different doses of Shenkang-Ⅱ. The changes of serum ACTH, cortisol and adrenal morphological in large dose of Shenkang-Ⅱ group, small dose of Shenkang-Ⅱ group, hormone control group, nephrotic syndrome model group and normal group were observed after two weeks. Results In the stage of withdrawing glucocorticoids, there were some amelioration in the changes of serum ACTH, cortisol in every group. After 2 weeks, those changes didn’t return to normal level. However, compared with the level of hormone control group, there were obvious increases in the levels of serum ACTH and cortisol in the large and small dose of Shenkang-Ⅱ group (P