Astragalus mongholicus and Angelica sinensis compound alleviates nephrotic hyperlipidemia in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanism of lipid-lowering effect of the Astragalus mongholicus and Angelica sinensis compound (A&A) on nephrotic hyperlipidemia in rats.


METHODS
Rats with nephrotic syndrome from accelerated nephrotoxic serum nephritis were used. They were divided into two groups: A&A treatment group and nephrotic control group. Normal rats were used as a normal control group. Serum lipids, serum lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) were assayed biochemically and enzymatically. mRNAs of hepatic hydroxy-methyl glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA-R) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) were assessed by Northern blot.


RESULTS
In nephrotic control group hyperlipidemia was found. The activities of serum LPL and LCAT were low. Hepatic HMG-CoA-R mRNA increased temporarily at the early stage while LDL-R mRNA decreased gradually. In A&A treatment group, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) were significantly lower than those in nephrotic control group. There was no change in the amount of hepatic HMG-CoA-R mRNA, but hepatic LDL-R mRNA and activities of serum LPL and LCAT increased significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
A&A alleviates hyperlipidemia considerably in nephrotic rats. A&A improves disorders of lipid metabolism perhaps through up-regulating the expression of hepatic LDL-R gene and through increasing the activities of serum LPL and LCAT.
Li
J
J
Department of Nephrology and Research Institute of Nephrology, First Hospital, Beijing Medical University, Beijing 100034, China.
Yu
L
L
Li
N
N
Wang
H
H
D029971:Angelica sinensis; D000818:Animals; D027883:Astragalus Plant; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000235:genetics; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics
D001798:Blood Proteins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008055:Lipids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D008071:Lipoprotein Lipase