Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of lamivudine in the patients of hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) treated by prednisolone with leflunomide. Methods 41 HBV-GN patients treated by prednisolone and leflunomide were enrolled in this study. According to the presence of the indications of antiviral treatment, the patients were divided into the prevention group and the treatment group received lamivudine treatment, and another 15 patients with chronic hepatitis B were treated with lamivudine as the control group. The biochemical, virological and serological responses during the process of the treatment and the serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 were determined. Results No significant differences of biochemical, virological and serological responses in the prevention and treatment groups compared with the control group at 48 weeks after treatment. Levels of the IFN-γ and IFN-γ / IL-4 decreased significantly in the prevention group and treatment groups compared with the control group (P < 0.05, respectively). No serious adverse reactions occurred in all patients. Conclusion The antiviral treatment of lamivudine lead to good curative effect and security in HBV-GN patients received hormones combined with leflunomide treatments, but leflunomide with prednisolone inhibited the production of IFN-γ and removal of hepatitis B virus.

Objective To observe the effect of Tripterygium glycosides (TG) on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1αand endothelin-1 in the kidney of diabetic rats and explore the possible mechanism underlying the protective effect of TG against diabetic nephropathy. Method Sixty 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=10) and streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) model group (n=50). The diabetic model rats were then randomly divided into DM group, low-dose (8 mg/kg) and high-dose (16 mg/kg) TG treatment groups, and Irbesartan (50 mg/kg) treatment group. After 8 weeks, the levels of blood glucose (BG), 24-h urine protein (24 h Upro), serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. The pathological changes in the renal tissues were examined by optical microscopy, and the mean glomerular area (MGA) and mean glomerular volume (MGV) were measured with pathological image analysis. Immunohistochemical and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of HIF-1αand ET-1 protein in the renal tissue, and their mRNA expressions were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results HIF-1α and ET-1 expression increased in the kidney of diabetic rats. Compared with the diabetic model rats, the rats receiving TG and Irbesartan treatment showed decreased levels of Scr, BUN, 24h Upro, MGA and MGV, improved renal histopathology, and reduced expression of HIF-1αand ET-1 mRNA and protein in the renal tissue. These changes were more obvious in high-dose TG treatment group. Correlation analysis showed that the expression of HIF-1α was positively correlated with that of ET-1, and they were both positively correlated with kidney weight index (KW/BW), 24 h Upro, MGA, and MGV. Conclusion HIF-1αand ET-1 are overexpressed in the kidney of diabetic rats. TG can improve kidney damage in diabetic rats and delay the development of diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting the HIF-1αand ET-1 expression.

Objective To observe the effect of Tripterygium glycosides (TG) on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1αand endothelin-1 in the kidney of diabetic rats and explore the possible mechanism underlying the protective effect of TG against diabetic nephropathy. Method Sixty 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=10) and streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) model group (n=50). The diabetic model rats were then randomly divided into DM group, low-dose (8 mg/kg) and high-dose (16 mg/kg) TG treatment groups, and Irbesartan (50 mg/kg) treatment group. After 8 weeks, the levels of blood glucose (BG), 24-h urine protein (24 h Upro), serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. The pathological changes in the renal tissues were examined by optical microscopy, and the mean glomerular area (MGA) and mean glomerular volume (MGV) were measured with pathological image analysis. Immunohistochemical and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of HIF-1αand ET-1 protein in the renal tissue, and their mRNA expressions were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results HIF-1α and ET-1 expression increased in the kidney of diabetic rats. Compared with the diabetic model rats, the rats receiving TG and Irbesartan treatment showed decreased levels of Scr, BUN, 24h Upro, MGA and MGV, improved renal histopathology, and reduced expression of HIF-1αand ET-1 mRNA and protein in the renal tissue. These changes were more obvious in high-dose TG treatment group. Correlation analysis showed that the expression of HIF-1α was positively correlated with that of ET-1, and they were both positively correlated with kidney weight index (KW/BW), 24 h Upro, MGA, and MGV. Conclusion HIF-1αand ET-1 are overexpressed in the kidney of diabetic rats. TG can improve kidney damage in diabetic rats and delay the development of diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting the HIF-1αand ET-1 expression.