title: Effect of Puerarin on Expression of ICAM-1 and TNF-α in Kidneys of Diabetic Rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As an important factor causing end-stage renal disease, diabetic nephropathy is correlated with low-grade chronic inflammation and immune system activation. This study aimed to investigate the protective function of puerarin on the kidneys of diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of healthy male SD rats (7 weeks old) were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, and a puerarin treatment group with high (H), moderate (M), and low (L) dosage. After streptozotocin induction, puerarin was applied via intragastric administration for 8 consecutive weeks with dosages of 0.25, 0. 5 and 1.0 mg/(kg·d) for L, M, and H groups, respectively. Fasting blood glucose (BG), creatinine (Scr), urea nitrogen (BUN), and urine albumin excretion rate (UAER) were measured, along with morphological observation of renal cells. The expression of intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was determined using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, while renal cortex cell apoptosis was assayed by in situ end-labeling method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Model rats had significantly elevated levels of BG, Scr, BUN, and UAER compared to controls (p<0.05). All these increases were partially but significantly suppressed by puerarin (p<0.05), which also caused marked improvement of histopathological damages. Puerarin at each dosage significantly eliminated elevations of ICAM-1 and TNF-α levels in model rats (p<0.05), and decreased apoptotic indexes of renal cortex cells (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early-stage renal damages can be significantly improved by puerarin, possibly via its suppression of ICAM-1 and TNF-α expression in diabetic rat kidneys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Fourth People's Hospital of Ji'nan, Ji'nan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Fourth People's Hospital of Ji'nan, Ji'nan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Jianfu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Internal Medicine, The Fourth People's Hospital of Ji'nan, Ji'nan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Ji'nan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Ji'nan, Shandong, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Huanjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007529:Isoflavones; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D003404:Creatinine; C033607:puerarin