RESUMO
Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a critical public health issue with a huge financial burden for both patients and society worldwide. Unfortunately, there are currently no efficacious therapies to prevent or delay the progression of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Traditional Chinese medicine practices have shown that Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) mycelia have a variety of pharmacologically useful properties, including antitumor, immunomodulation, and hepatoprotection. However, the effect of mycelial C. militaris on CKD remains unclear. Methods: Here, we investigated the effects of C. militaris mycelia on mice with CKD using four types of media: HKS, HKS with vitamin A (HKS + A), CM, and CM with vitamin A (CM + A). Results: The results at day 10 revealed that the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were significantly lower in the HKS (41%), HKS + A (41%), and CM + A (34%) groups compared with those in the corresponding control groups (nephrectomic mice). The level of serum creatinine in the HKS + A group decreased by 35% at day 10, whereas the levels in the HKS and CM + A groups decreased only by 14% and 13%, respectively, on day 30. Taken together, this is the first report using four new media (HKS, HKS + A, CM, and CM + A medium) for C. militaris mycelia. Each medium of mycelial C. militaris on CKD exhibits specific effect on BUN, serum creatinine, body weight, total protein, and uric acid. Conclusions: Taken together, this is the first report using four new media (HKS, HKS + A, CM, and CM + A medium) for C. militaris mycelia. Each medium of mycelial C. militaris on CKD exhibits specific effects on BUN, serum creatinine, body weight, total protein, and uric acid. We concluded that treatment with C. militaris mycelia cultured in HKS or CM + A medium could potentially prevent the deterioration of kidney function in mice with CKD.
RESUMO
Taiwanofungus camphoratus has been widely used in Taiwan as a folk medicine to prevent and treat liver diseases, diarrhea, abdominal pain, itchy skin, and hypertension. Recent studies have shown that T. camphoratus mycelia extracts exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on some types of renal disease, but the effect of T. camphoratus mycelia on chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. In this study we used the Bioresource Collection and Research Center (BCRC) medium and modified media (e.g., BCRC+A, HKS1, and HKS1+A media) to incubate T. camphorates mycelia and detect the feasible benefits of renal protection in mice with CKD. Five groups of mice with a partial nephrectomy (each mouse weighed approximately 30 g) received a daily administration of different media-treated T. camphoratus mycelia water solutions (3 mg dried mycelia dissolved in 0.3 mL water) by oral gavage for 30 days, while a control group received distilled water. The results show that progressive increased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were significantly inhibited in the HKS1+A group on days 10 and 30. Plasma total protein was effectively increased in the HKS1 and HKS1+A groups. The BCRC and BCRC+A groups exhibited no obvious improvement in renal function. The results suggest that the HKS1+A medium provides the optimal effect in preventing the deterioration of kidney function and might have a renoprotective effect on CKD.
