title: Effect of artemisinin combined with glucocorticoid on the expressions of glucocorticoid receptor α mRNA, glucocorticoid receptor β mRNA and P300/CBP protein in lupus nephritis mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of using artemisinin (Art) combined with glucocorticoid (GC) to treat lupus nephritis (LN) mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty hybrid female mice were randomly and equally divided into four groups with the method of random number table: control group, model group, prednisone group administrated with 6.45 mg/(kg·d) prednisone suspension, and Art+prednisone group administrated with 150 mg/(kg·d) Art suspension and 3.225 mg/(kg·d) prednisone suspension. A mice model of LN was established by injection with living lymph cell suspension. The changes of urine protein/24h, the expressions of GC receptor α (GRα) mRNA, GC receptor β (GRβ) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and transcriptional coactivator P300/CBP protein in renal tissue were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, the treatment groups had significant decrease in urine protein/24 h, and renal pathological lesion (P<0.01). In the same groups, the expression of transcriptional coactivator P300/CBP protein in renal tissue and GRα mRNA were significantly increased, and GRβ mRNA expression was significantly decreased (P<0.01). And the Art+prednisone group has a better therapeutic effect than the prednisone group (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Art has therapeutic sensitization effects on GC in the LN mice. The underlying mechanism could be correlated with the effect of Art on the increase of the expressions of GRα mRNA and transcriptional coactivator P300 300/CBP protein in renal tissue and on the decrease of the expression of GRβ mRNA in PBMC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Chinese Traditional and Western Medicine, Shaanxi Province Key Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Nephrology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an (710004), China. wuxili1984@163.com
authors.forename: Xi-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wang-Gang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Wan-Sen
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Cheng-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050880:p300-CBP Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D037621:Artemisinins; D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; C411470:glucocorticoid receptor alpha; C121943:glucocorticoid receptor beta; C031327:artemisinin; D050880:p300-CBP Transcription Factors; D011241:Prednisone