Open AccessEffects of Qijin granules on high glucose-induced proliferation, apoptosis and expression of nuclear factor- κB and MCP-1 in rat glomerular mesangial cells
Author(s) -
Yuanfeng Yang,
Gaocai Xiong,
Renhui Yang,
Yuchuan Li,
Yuling Luo,
Ruihong Xiong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
tropical journal of pharmaceutical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.209
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1596-5996
pISSN - 1596-9827
DOI - 10.4314/tjpr.v20i9.6
Subject(s) - apoptosis , flow cytometry , chemistry , western blot , cell cycle , cell growth , smad , mesangial cell , andrology , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , medicine , signal transduction , biology , biochemistry , in vitro , gene
Purpose: To investigate the effects of Qijin granules on high glucose-induced proliferation and apoptosis in rat glomerular mesangial cells (MC).Methods: MC cells from rats were passaged and cultured, and randomly divided into control group (CNG), high glucose group (HGG), Western medicine group (WMG, high glucose + Benazepril + Gliquidone), and Qijin granules 1/2/3 group (high glucose + different doses of Qijin granules). Mesangial cells proliferation was measured using MTT assay. The NF-κB, MCP-1 and inflammatory factors in supernatant were determined by ELISA. Apoptosis rate and cell cycle were assessed by flow cytometry. The apoptosis-related TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway-related protein expressions were measured by Western blot.Results: The A-value and early apoptosis rate, apoptosis rate and S-phase percentage, and protein expressions of NF-κB, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-2, TNF-ɑ, Bax, Cyt-C, caspase-3, TGF-β1, and p-Smad3 of MC cells in the HGG at 12 h, 24 h and 48 h were higher than those in the CNG. The above indices were lower in the WMG, and Qijin granules 1/2/3 groups than in the HGG. The Bcl-2, Smad7 protein expression level and the percentage of G1 and G2/M phase were lower in the HGG than in the CNG, and the above indeices were higher in the WMG and Qijin granules 1/2/3 group than in HGG.Conclusion: Qijin granules can dose-dependently inhibit high glucose-induced proliferation and apoptosis in rat MC cells, block the cell cycle and reduce inflammatory responses. This may be related to the regulation of NF-κB, MCP-1 and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathways. These findings provide theoretical and experimental basis for the clinical treatment of early diabetic nephropathy.