title: Xuezhikang () reduced renal cell apoptosis in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats through regulation of Bcl-2 family.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Xuezhikang (, XZK) on renal cell apoptosis in diabetic rats and the possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: the normal, model and XZK groups. In each group, the rats were further randomly divided into 3-month and 6-month subgroups, respectively. Diabetes of rats was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 1% streptozocin at 60 mg/kg body weight. Rats in the XZK group received gastric perfusion of XZK (1200 mg/kg body weight) everyday for 3 or 6 months, while rats in the normal and model groups received equal volume of saline. Twenty-four hours' urine was collected for urinary albumin excretion (UAE) measurement. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson's trichrome staining were used for saccharides and collagen detection. Cell apoptosis of renal cortex was investigated by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Bax and Bcl-2 expressions were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. Cytochrome C (Cyt C) and caspase-9 concentration were detected by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, XZK treatment could significantly decrease the kidney hypertrophy index, 24 h UAE, renal cell apoptosis, cytoplasmic Cyt C level and active caspase-9 level, as well as suppress the increment of Bax and up-regulate the expression of Bcl-2, leading to the suppression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio at 3 and 6 months (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, XZK treatment could alleviate the deposition of PAS-stained saccharides and Masson's trichromestained collagen to different extent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Renal cell apoptosis was observed in diabetic kidney, in which mitochondrial apoptotic pathway might be involved. XZK treatment could attenuate pathological changes in diabetic kidney and reduce renal cell apoptosis, probably via the suppression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, which lead to inhibition of Cyt C release and following caspase-9 activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Na
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
authors.forename: Fen-Ping
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Wu
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China. lihongheyi@126.com.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006984:Hypertrophy; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D050527:Mesangial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013311:Streptozocin; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008055:Lipids; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C496822:xuezhikang; D013311:Streptozocin; D045304:Cytochromes c; D053453:Caspase 9
keywords: Bcl-2 family; Chinese medicine; Xuezhikang; apoptosis; diabetes; mitochondrial pathway
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