title: Effects of Houttuynia cordata thumb on expression of BMP-7 and TGF-beta1 in the renal tissues of diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of Houttuynia Cordata Thumb (HCT Yu Xing Cao) on expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) in the renal tissues of diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The diabetic rats induced by intravenous injection of streptozotocin(STZ) were randomly divided into a model group, a HCT group and a lotensin group, with normal rats designated as the controls. 8 weeks later, the ratio of kidney weight to body weight, the glomerular area, the excretion of beta2-microglobin (beta2-MG) in 24-hr urine, the albumin excretion in 24-hr urine, and creatinine clearance rate (CCR) were investigated. The expression of TGF- beta1, BMP-7 and collagen I in the renal tissues was observed with the immunohistochemical method and by the semi-quantitative assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overgrowth of glomerulus, the excretion of beta2-MG in 24-hr urine, the albumin excretion rate in 24-hr urine and CCR in the HCT group significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the expression of TGF-beta1 and collagen I significantly decreased (P<0.05), but BMP-7 significantly increased (P<0.05) in the HCT group as compared with those in the model group, with no significant difference as compared with the lotensin group (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCT has a protective effect on the renal tissues in diabetic rats, which is probably correlated with the decrease of the expression of TGF-beta1 and collagen I and with the increase of the expression of BMP-7 in the renal tissues.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative Traditional Chinese & Western Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fuer
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D052859:Houttuynia / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D055419:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C442781:Houttuynia cordata extract; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1