Blockage of TGF-β1-induced epithelial-tomesenchymal transition by oxymatrine prevents renal interstitial fibrosis

Authors

  • Li Li Department of Nephrology
  • Dongyuan He Department of Nephrology, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, China
  • Qin Cai 1 Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Second Chinese Medicine Hospital, Nanjing, China
  • Dong-ying Wang 1 Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Second Chinese Medicine Hospital, Nanjing, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/s2175-97902020000118738

Keywords:

Oxymatrine, Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, Transforming growth factor-β1

Abstract

Most chronic kidney disease inevitably progress to renal fibrosis. Tubular epithelial- to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is recognized to play major roles in renal fibrosis. Oxymatrine (OM) is a major alkaloid component found in a Chinese herb Sophora roots and has many effects. The aim is to investigate the effect of OM on renal tubular EMT and elucidate its mechanism. Mice underwent unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) followed by intraperitoneal injection of OM (120 mg/kg) or control vehicle. Human kidney proximal tubular cell line (HK-2) was used and EMT was induced with 5 ng/mL of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). In vivo, renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis was induced and E-cadherin was down-regulated, while the expressions of fibronectin (FN), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), TGF-β1 and its type I receptor (TGF-βRI) were up-regulated in UUO mice. In contrast, OM significantly ameliorated renal fibrotic lesions and attenuated the expressions of FN, α-SMA, TGF-β1 and TGF-βRI, but increased E-cadherin in the obstructed kidneys. In vitro, OM abolished TGF-β1-mediated E-cadherin suppression and FN, α-SMA and TGF-βRI induction in HK-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These observations strongly suggest that the renal protective effects of OM could be mediated by prevention of EMT and manifested as suppression of TGF-β1 and TGF-βRI expressions.

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Published

2022-11-18

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Original Article

How to Cite

Blockage of TGF-β1-induced epithelial-tomesenchymal transition by oxymatrine prevents renal interstitial fibrosis. (2022). Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 58. https://doi.org/10.1590/s2175-97902020000118738