title: The protective effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza in an animal model of early experimentally induced diabetic nephropathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end stage renal disease. In this study, the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) were studied in an experimental rat model of DN that was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats (290 ± 10 g) by injecting STZ (45 mg/kg) into the tail vein. After development of diabetes, the rats were treated with SM (500 mg/kg) for 8 weeks in order to analyze its renoprotective effect, which was evaluated by means of blood glucose level, urine protein, and the expression of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), receptor of advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), collagen IV, and monocyte/macrophage (ED-1) infiltration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High levels of 24-h urinary protein excretion were ameliorated by SM. Moreover, the serum and kidney levels of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and the kidney levels of collagen IV, monocytes/macrophages (ED-1) and the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE), were significantly reduced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that SM might inhibit the progression of DN and could be a therapeutic agent for regulating several pharmacological targets for treatment or prevention of DN.
authors.affiliation: Deptatment of Clinical Oncology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-Ku, Seoul 130-702, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Seok
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byung-Cheol
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism; D027561:Salvia miltiorrhiza / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D017127:Glycation End Products, Advanced; D020011:Protective Agents; D000067759:Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; C508962:Tgfb1 protein, rat; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1