Renal protective effect of quercetin on mice with systemic lupus erythematosus and its effect on TGF-β1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the protective effect of quercetin on the kidney of mice with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to explore its effect on transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1).Methods Thirty BALB/c female mice were randomly divided into control group,model group and drug group according to the envelope method,with 10 mice in each group.A mouse model of SLE was established by intra-peritoneal injection of pristane method.The drug group was given quercetin treatment,and the control group and the model group were given the same dose of normal saline.The renal function index and autoanti-body level in each group of mice were compared.The pathological changes of renal tissues were observed by HE staining.The expressions of TGF-β1 and MCP-1 were determined by Western blotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).The renal function index,autoantibody level,TGF-β1,and MCP-1 expression were statistically analyzed by analysis of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN),serum creatinine (Scr),24 h urine protein,kidney hypertrophy index,antinuclear antibody (ANA) antibody,anti-dsDNA antibody and anti-snRNP/Sm in the model group and the drug group were higher than those in the control group.Compared with the model group,the levels of BUN,Scr,24 h urine protein,kidney hypertrophy index,ANA antibody,anti-dsDNA antibody,anti-snRNP/Sm in the drug group were(11.3±1.1) mmol/L,(45±4) μmol/L,(25.7±2.6) mg/24 h,(4.3±0.4)×10-3,(30.3±3.1) ng/L,(472±48) μmol/L and (17.6±1.8) ng/L,which were decreased (q =10.678,6.698,14.948,14.412,9.226,4.691,8.226,P＜0.01).The glomerular score,tubulointerstitial score and tubulointer-stitial score of the model group were higher than those of the control group.The glomerular score,tubulointer-stitial score and tubular score of the drug group were lower than those of the model group (q=10.935,49.537,20.439,P＜0.01).HE staining showed that the kidney structure of the control group was no obvious damage.In the model group,the glomerular volume of the mice increased,and the inflammatory cells in the renal interstitial and renal tubules infiltrated.The pathological changes in the drug group were significantly reduced compared with the model group.Compared with the control group,the expression levels of TGF-β1,MCP-1 protein and mRNA in the model group and the drug group were significantly increased.Compared with the model group,TGF-β1 and MCP-1 protein and mRNA expression levels the mice in the drug group were significantly reduced.Conclusion Quercetin can improve renal function in mice with SLE by down-regulating the expression of TGF-beta 1 and MCP-1.