The pathomechanisms of the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) include glomerulosclerosis, renal interstitial fibrosis and renal arteriosclerosis. Chinese herbal medicine can delay the progression of CKD by ameliorating the harmful factors of these pathological changes, such as podocyte and slit diaphragm injury, nephrotoxicity of proteinuria, hyperactivity of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, cytokines over-expression, tubular epithelial myofibroblast transdifferentiation, hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; drug effects ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism

In the trials of multi-glycoside of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) in the field of pharmacodynamics, some clinical characteristics and symptoms, such as proteinuria, hematuria,joint pain, and skin damage, could be improved in the patients with various diseases including proliferative glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and other immune-related diseases. In this review, it has been also reported to discuss the effects of GTW and Triptolide (T4), which is a bioactive component in GTW on anti-inflammatory, immunosuppression, and protection of epithelial cell in kidney. On the other hand, it is possible to have some beneficial effects on organ transplant rejection, tumor growth and anti-fertility.
Animals ; Biomedical Research ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Pharmacology ; Tripterygium ; chemistry