Effects of Tripterygium hypoglaucum on serum IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in chronic nephritis rats / 中国中药杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects and mechanism of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (THH) on serum IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in chronic, nephritis rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The rabbit serum of anti-rat kidney was initially prepared, and then injected into normal rats to induce the formation of chronic glomerulonephritis. In this model, THH was administrated for 4 weeks, while saline and prednisone were respectively used as negative and positive controls. Some of laboratory parameters were observed from the rats above.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>THH not only significantly decreased urine protein, reduced serum urea nitrogen, but also decreased the releases of inflammatory mediators (such as IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>THH is effective in treating rat nephrotoxic serum glormerulonephritis, its mechanism probably related to decreasing inflammatory mediator levels.</p>