Chemopreventive effect of five drugs on renal interstitial fibrosis induced by an aristolochic acid-containing Chinese herb in rats.
OBJECTIVE
This study focuses on the chemopreventive effect of five drugs on renal interstitial fibrosis induced by an aristolochic acid-containing Chinese herb Mu-Tong.


METHODS
Renal interstitial fibrosis was induced in rats by administration of the Mu-Tong solution intragastrically for 6 weeks, and 36 rats were randomly divided into six groups: (1) Mu-Tong, (2) Mu-Tong + captopril, (3) Mu-Tong + losartan, (4) Mu-Tong + simvastatin, (5) Mu-Tong + spironolactone, and (6) Mu-Tong + diammonium glycyrrhizinate. Blood biochemistry and extracellular matrix were detected at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6. At the end of week 6, kidney tissue of all groups was evaluated with special Masson staining for the degree of renal fibrosis as well as regular histopathology.


RESULTS
Mu-Tong caused progressive elevation of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, hyaluronic acid, procollagen type III, and laminin. All five drugs suppressed elevation of blood biochemistry and extracellular matrix to some degree, but only the simvastatin group showed a significantly reduced percentage of positive Masson staining area in renal section compared to the Mu-Tong group (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study indicates that Mu-Tong induces a similar kidney injury with general characteristics in patients with renal interstitial fibrosis. All five different drugs have suppressive effects on Mu-Tong-induced renal function damage, and in particular, simvastatin shows a protective effect on development of Mu-Tong-induced renal interstitial fibrosis to a certain degree.
Zhu
Shaoming
S
Department of Nephrology, Taihe Hospital and Affiliated Hospital of Yunyang Medical College, Shiyan City, Hubei Province, China. zhusaoming@msn.com
Liu
Jiubo
J
Chen
Lin
L
Li
Yan
Y
Yao
Junxia
J
Jin
Chaoxia
C
Wang
Zuojun
Z
Wang
Lei
L
Wu
Pingyong
P
Luo
Qiang
Q
Zhou
Juan
J
D000818:Animals; D034341:Aristolochic Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D002216:Captopril / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018890:Chemoprevention; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000633:toxicity*; D005355:Fibrosis; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D019808:Losartan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009395:Nephritis, Interstitial / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013148:Spironolactone / Q000627:therapeutic use
D034341:Aristolochic Acids; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D013148:Spironolactone; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; C000228:aristolochic acid I; D002216:Captopril; D019821:Simvastatin; D019808:Losartan