RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) represents a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. Shenkang Pills (SKP), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been widely used in the treatment of DKD and has obvious antioxidant effect. Ferroptosis, a novel mode of cell death due to iron overload, has been shown to be associated with DKD. Nevertheless, the precise effects and underlying mechanisms of SKP on ferroptosis in diabetic kidney disease remain unclear. METHODS: The active components of SKP were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Herb-ingredient-targets gene network were constructed using Cytoscape. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted utilizing the Metascape system database. Additionally, an in vivo model of DKD induced by Streptozotocin (STZ) was established to further investigate and validate the possible mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of SKP. RESULTS: We retrieved 56 compounds and identified 223 targets of SKP through the TCMSP database. Key targets were ascertained using PPI network analysis. By constructing a Herb-Ingredient-Targets gene network, we isolated the primary active components in SKP that potentially counteract ferroptosis in diabetic kidney disease. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that SKP has the potential to alleviate ferroptosis through HIF signaling pathway, thereby mitigating renal injury in DKD. In animal experiments, fasting blood glucose, 24 h urine protein, urea nitrogen and serum creatine were measured. The results showed that SKP could improve DKD. Results from animal experiments were also confirmed the efficacy of SKP in alleviating renal fibrosis, oxidative stress and ferroptosis in DKD mice. These effects were accompanied by the significant reductions in renal tissue expression of HIF-1α and HO-1 proteins. The mRNA and immunohistochemistry results were the same as above. CONCLUSIONS: SKP potentially mitigating renal injury in DKD by subduing ferroptosis through the intricacies of the HIF-1α/HO-1 signaling pathway.
RESUMO
This study is to investigate the effects of paeoniflorin on cerebral blood flow and the balance of PGI2/TXA2 of rats with focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. A total of 72 SD rats (3) were randomly divided into 6 groups: sham operation group, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model group (I/R gourp), low (10 mg.kg-1), middle (20 mg.kg-1) and high (40 mg.kg-1) doses of paeoniflorin groups and nimrnodipine group. Focal cerebral ischemia in rats was made by inserting a monofilament suture into internal carotid artery for 90 min and then reperfused for 24 h. The effects of paeoniflorin on neurological deficit scores and the infarction volume of brain were detected. Relative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was continuously monitored over ischemic hemispheres by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF). The expression of COX-2 in hippocampal CAl region was estimated by immunohistochemistry and the contents of prostacyclin I2 (PGI2), thromboxane A2 (TXA2), and ratio of PGIJ2/TXA2 in serum were measured by ELISA kits. Paeoniflorin significantly ameliorated neurological scores, reduced the infarction volume, and increased regional cerebral blood flow relative to the I/R group. In addition, paeoniflorin could inhibit COX-2 expression and the release of TXA2 and prevent the downregulation of PGI2 induced by I/R injury. The neuroprotective effects of paeoniflorin against focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats might be attributed to improve the supply of injured hemisphere blood flow and adjust the balance between PGI2/TXA2.