OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of matrine on renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rat model and to explore its mechanisms.

METHODSModel rats of UUO were established and randomly divided into 6 groups: the normal group, the sham group, the UUO model group, the fusinopril treated group (F group), the high dose and low dose matrine treated groups (HM and LM). The expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-3 ( MMP-3), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), fibronectin (FN), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) were determined semi-quantitatively by immunohistochemistry on the 14th day.

RESULTSThe expression of MMP-3 in the UUO model rats was significantly lowed on the 14th day, compared with that in rats not modeled in the normal and the sham groups (P < 0.05), but it was higher in the three treated groups than that in the UUO model group (P < 0.05); the expressions of TIMP-1, FN, CTGF and alpha-SMA were lower in the normal group and sham UUO group than those in all the UUO model groups, while they were lower obviously in the three treated groups than those in the UUO model group (P < 0.05); there was no significant difference in the above-mentioned indexes between HM group and F group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMatrine could decrease the expressions of TIMP-1, FN, CTGF and alpha-SMA in the tubulointerstitium, and partly restore the expression of MMP-3, so as to delay the progression of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis.