Attenuation effect of Guiqi Baizhu prescription on renal injury induced by cisplatin

Objective 　To explore the attenuation effect of Guiqi Baizhu prescripion on kidney injury induced by cisplatin in mice. Methods 　Fifty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 5 groups (10 each): blank group, model group, and low, medium, and high dose of Guiqi Baizhu prescripion group. Mice in the 4 latter groups were intraperitoneally injected with cisplatin (2.0mg/kg, 0.2ml) once every 7d for 4 times. Mice in the 3 latter groups were gavaged with Guiqi Baizhu prescripion (0.4ml) at 17:00 every day, and in blank group and model group were gavaged with equivalent normal saline at 17:00 every day. The weight of mice was detected every 2 days, and the appetite was detected every 4 days. Blood routine and renal function tests were performed 48 hours after the last cisplatin injection, and the kidney tissues of all the mice were stripped, the general morphological changes of kidney were observed, the kidney index was calculated, and the renal pathological changes and the expression of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (caspase 3) and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 9 (caspase 9) in kidney tissue were also detected. Results 　The body weight and appetite of control group were maintained in a higher average level, while the body weight of model group showed cyclical decrease and recovery, and the appetite presented significant reduction. After administration of Guiqi Baizhu prescription, the reduction of body weight and appetite got some mitigation. As to the general morphology of the kidney, those in blank group were with deep color and rich blood, and in model group with apparently lighter colour, smaller volume, and significantly decreased kidney index. After administration of Guiqi Baizhu prescription, the kidney volume increased, color deepened, and kidney index increased compared with that in model group, and these changes were more obvious in medium and high dose group with significant difference compared to that in model group (P<0.05). As to the biochemical function, the white blood cell count (WBC) and platelet count (PLT) decreased significantly, while the contents of urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) and the expressions of caspase 3 and caspase 9 increased significantly in model group than in blank group with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Compared with that of model group, the WBC and PLT counts increased significantly, and the contents of BUN and Scr, and the expressions of caspase 3 and caspase 9 decreased significantly in the 3 groups of Guiqi Baizhu prescription administration with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). As to the pathological aspects, the organizational structure of kidney tissue in blank group was normal, with no obvious degeneration, necrosis and inflammatory infiltration, and with clear renal tubular structure; while the kidney tissue of model group appeared abnormal structure, renal tubules turbid swelling, proximal convoluted tubule epithelial cells with ballooning, atrophy and disappearance; administration of Guiqi Baizhu prescription reduced the renal pathological damage and renal tubular turbid swelling, and ballooning degenerated and the atrophy of renal tubular epithelial cells was significantly reduced. Conclusion 　Guiqi Baizhu prescription may provide with attenuated effect to renal injury induced by cisplatin with a possible mechanism of improving blood vitality and reducing apoptosis of renal cells by supplementing Qi and enriching blood, so as to reduce the damage effect of cisplatin on kidney tissue. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2018.11.03