[Astragalus and angelica mixture inhibits the renal tubular epithelial cell injury induced by aristolochic-acid I].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether Chinese herb astragalus and angelica mixture (A&A) have influence on the renal tubular epithelial cell injury induced by aristolochic-acid I.


METHODS
Human proximal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2 was pre-treated with AA-I (2.5 mg/L) for 4 hours. Cells were then treated with or without A&A for additional 44 hours. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by using FACS. Secreted fibronectin (FN) and TGF-beta1 levels were assayed by ELISA. The changes of AA-I-induced FN, TGF-beta1 level and the rate of apoptosis were compared before and after A&A treatment.


RESULTS
There was basement secretion of TGF-beta1 by HK-2 cells (7.05+/-1.98 microg/L). Both normal serum (N-S) and A&A could not induce the cells to secret TGF-beta1(6.35+/-1.99 microg/L and 6.57+/-2.19 microg/L, vs. control, P>0.05). AA-I could induce the TGF-beta1 secretion by HK-2 cells (18.26+/-5.98 microg/L, vs. control, P<0.05). A&A could block AA-I-induced TGF-beta1 secretion by 63.5% (6.66+/-0.70 microg/L, vs. AA-I, P<0.05). It also suppressed AA-I-induced cell apoptosis by 93.7% (3.32%+/-0.41% vs. 19.19%+/-6.32% respectively, P<0.001) and FN secretion by 44% (1.64+/-1.11 folds vs. 2.93+/-0.87 folds respectively, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A&A inhibits AA-I induced injury in human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells, whose mechanism may be partially through blocking TGF-beta1 secretion.
Li
Biao
B
Department of Nephrology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
Tang
Jia-wei
JW
Cai
Shao-qing
SQ
Li
Xiao-mei
XM
D029969:Angelica / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D034341:Aristolochic Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D027885:Astragalus propinquus / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000096:biosynthesis
D034341:Aristolochic Acids; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005353:Fibronectins; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; C000228:aristolochic acid I