Effects of Niaoduqing on expressions of the fibrogenetic factors in rats with Adriamycin nephropathy.

Objective To explore the mechanisms of the beneficial effects of Niaoduqing,and to investigate the effects of Niaoduqing on expressions of renal transforming growth factor-betal,and tissue inhibition of metalloproteinase-1,plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and osteopontin mRNAs in rats with Adriamycin-induced nephropathy.Methods The male rats were randomly divided into four groups:the normal group(N group),the model group(M group),the Niaoduqing group(Ni group)and the Benazepril group(B group).24-hour urinary protein excretion and renal function were determined at 4 and 8 weeks.Expressions of transforming growth factor-betal(TGF-β1),tissue inhibition of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1),plasminogen activetor inhibitor-1(PAI-1)and osteopontin(OPN)mRNA were determined by real-time quantitative RT-PCR.Results Niaoduqing and Benazepril effectively reduced the levels of 24-hour urinary protein excretion,Bun,and Scr,elevated protein levels,corrected fat metabolic disorder,and down-regulated expressions of TGF-β1,TIMP-1,PAI-1 and OPN mRNAs(P0.01)compared with the M group.Niaoduqing could significantly inhibit expression of PAI-1 mRNA compared with that of Benazepril(P0.01).Conclusion Niaoduqing can down-regulate expressions of TGF-β1,TIMP-1,PAI-1 and OPN mRNAs in renal tissues of rats with Adriamycin-induced nephropathy,which may be its active mechanism in treating chronic renal diseases.