To investigate the molecular mechanism of hu-lu-ba-wan and its single components in the anti-oxidative stress treatment of the diabetic kidney disease(DKD) in rats.Methods:A high-sugar and high-fat diet with intravenous injection of small dose of streptozotocin(STZ) was used to establish the diabetic kidney disease(DKD) model in rat.The rats were randomly divided into model group,TFG group,PC group,and Hu-lu-ba-wan group,captopril group,and a normal control group was set to compare.After 16 weeks of intragastric treatment with corresponding drugs,blood glucose,blood lipids,blood urea nitrogen(BUN),blood creatinine(SCr),and 24-hour urine total protein(UTP),24-hour urine albumin(UALB) were examined.HE staining,PAS staining,Masson staining were used to observe renal morphological changes and electron microscope was applied to observe kidney ultrastructural changes.The assess of the level of superoxide anion in kidney tissue was conducted by DHE staining and the activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH) in kidney tissue was detected using the concentration colorimetric method.Western Blotting was used to detect the expression level of phosphorylated PKC-α,NADPH oxidase p47phox subunit,Fibronectin protein in kidney tissue,and the mRNA expression levels of p47phox and PKC-α in kidney tissues were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(RT-PCR).Results:Compared with the normal group,the rats in the model group had elevated blood sugar and dyslipidemia,and the 24 h urine total protein and albumin levels were significantly increased(P<0.001),and showed increased glomerular volume,glomerular fibrosis,and extracellular matrix proliferation and podocyte foot process fusion.Compared with the model group,the blood glucose levels decreased,dyslipidemia were improved,and 24-hour urine total protein and albumin levels significantly decreased in rats of the TFG group,PC group,and hu-lu-ba-wan group were significantly lower than the model group(P<0.01).Besides,the above-mentioned renal pathological changes were obviously reduced.Compared with normal group,the fluorescence intensity of DHE staining in the kidney tissue of the model group was significantly increased,and the NADPH oxidase activity,phosphorylated PKC-α,p47phox,and Fibronectin protein in the kidney tissue were distinctly enhanced in the model group(P<0.001).In comparison of model group,the fluorescence intensity of DHE staining in the kidney tissue of rats was significantly reduced and the NADPH oxidase activity,phosphorylated PKC-α,p47phox,and Fibronectin protein in the kidney tissue were significantly reduced(P<0.01),and mRNA expression levels of p47phox and PKC-α were reduced in the TFG group,PC group,and hu-lu-ba-wan group(P<0.01).Compared with the single components,the hu-lu-ba-wan group was better than the TFG group and the PC group in anti-oxidative stress,improving glomerular fibrosis,and lowering blood lipids and blood glucose.Conclusion:Hu-lu-ba-wan improves diabetic kidney disease by inhibiting the oxidative stress of PKC-α/NADPH pathway. |