[Protective effects of glycyrrhizin on adriamycin nephropathy in rats].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of glycyrrhizin on laminin (LN) expression in kidney tissue and excretory quantity of urine protein of rats with adriamycin nephropathy, and to explore the protective effects of glycyrrhizin on glomerulosclerosis.


METHODS
Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group (n=6), untreated group (n=6) and glycyrrhizin-treated group (n=6). Adriamycin nephropathy was induced in rats in the last two groups by intravenous injection of adriamycin. The rats in the glycyrrhizin-treated group were fed glycyrrhizin for eight weeks, whereas the rats in the normal control group and untreated group were fed normal saline solution for eight weeks too. The levels of 24 h urine protein (Upr), serum creatinine (sCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum cholesterol (Ch) of rats in each group were examined before treatment and after the treatment for four and eight weeks. The renal morphological changes were observed under a microscope. The expression level of LN in renal tissue was detected by streptavidin-biotin peroxidase complex (SABC) method.


RESULTS
The levels of 24 h Upr after the treatment for four and eight weeks in the glycyrrhizin-treated group were both significantly decreased as compared with those in the untreated group. The pathological morphological changes of renal tissue in the glycyrrhizin-treated group were remarkably alleviated, and the expression level of LN in renal tissue was also decreased in the glycyrrhizin-treated group as compared with those in the untreated group.


CONCLUSIONS
The glycyrrhizin exerts certain protective effects on adriamycin nephropathy in rats by reducing excretory quantity of urine protein, decreasing expression level of LN in renal tissue, improving renal function and lessening the severity degree of glomerulosclerosis so as to retard the development of glomerulosclerosis.
Wang
Li-Na
LN
Department of Pediatrics, First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510180, China. yuli828@yeah.net
Yu
Li
L
Zhang
Lei
L
Hao
Zhi-Hong
ZH
Zhao
Dan
D
Zhang
You-Xiang
YX
D000818:Animals; D004317:Doxorubicin; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D004317:Doxorubicin