title: Amelioration of anti-cancer agent adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome in rats by Wulingsan (Gorei-San), a blended traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
abstract: Anti-cancer agent adriamycin (ADR) has demonstrated high anti-tumor efficacy. However, its use in chemotherapy has been limited largely due to its diverse toxicities, including renal toxicity, such as nephrotic syndrome with proteinuria. Podocyte injury leads to glomeruli proteinuria. Wulingsan (WLS) is a blended traditional Chinese herbal medicine specifically used for various kidney diseases. In the present study, we found that a water extract of WLS (480 mg/kg, p.o., x 28 days) reduced ADR-induced increase in urine protein excretion, plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride, and decrease in plasma total protein and albumin in rats. Furthermore, the results of electron microscopy demonstrated suppression by WLS of ADR-induced increase in width of foot process, increase in surface density and decrease in volume density. These results suggest that WLS ameliorates ADR-induced proteinuria and podocyte injury. Gene analysis results demonstrated a suppression of renal overexpression of nephrin mRNA and protein by WLS. Radioimmunoassay showed that WLS suppressed ADR-induced increased renal angiotensin II content in rats. Thus our results demonstrate that WLS ameliorates ADR-induced nephrotic syndrome in rats possibly by suppressing ADR-induced hyperactivity of renal renin-angiotensin system to modulate renal nephrin gene expression, thereby protecting podocyte from injury.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xianglu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: Jian Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Pei Qing
authors.initials: PQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yuhao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity*; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050199:Podocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C113267:nephrin; C443861:wulingsan; D000804:Angiotensin II; D014527:Uric Acid; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases