OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preventive and therapeutic effects and the possible mechanisms of Dilingdan Decoction (DLDD), a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on rats with renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). METHODS: Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, untreated group, enalapril-treated group and DLDD-treated group. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), urine protein quantization in 24 hours and pathological changes of the obstructed kidney were observed. The expressions of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), fibronectin (FN) and laminin (LN) were detected by immunohistochemical method and colored-multimedia pathological image analysis system. RESULTS: Massive inflammatory infiltrates and collagen expression in renal interstitial in the untreated group were observed on the 7th day. Compared with the sham-operated group, percentages of area of TGF-beta1, alpha-SMA, FN and LN expressions in the untreated group were markedly increased (P<0.05), while the percentage of area of interstitial fibrosis was decreased in the DLDD-treated group as compared with the untreated group (P<0.05). On the 14th day, the percentages of area of TGF-beta1, alpha-SMA, FN and LN expressions were declined in two treated groups as compared with the untreated group (P<0.05), but had no statistical difference in biochemical indicators, including BUN, SCr and 24-hour urinary protein. On the 21st day, the level of SCr and the percentage of area of TGF-beta1 expression in the DLDD-treated group were lower than those of the enalapril-treated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: DLDD can reduce the excretion of urinary protein and the degree of interstitial fibrosis, and significantly inhibit the expressions of TGF-beta1, alpha-SMA, FN and LN. DLDD is superior to enalapril in protecting renal function after long-time application in rats.

Objective:To investigate the changes of adrenomedullin(ADM) and adrenotensin(ADT) in hemodialysis patients. Methods:The plasma concentrations of ADM and ADT were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results:Plasma ADM was significantly higher in the hypertensive group(P

Objective:To observe the serum level of fibroblast growth factor-23(FGF-23) in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and study its association with phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism.Methods: Serum FGF-23 level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in ESRD patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD, n=50) and peritoneal dialysis (PD, n=24) and in twenty healthy controls (control group,n=20).Serum level of 1,25-(OH) 2VitD was measured by enzyme immunoassay(EIA).Serum intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), creatinine, and calcium and phosphorus were also measured.Results: Serum FGF-23 was obviously higher in HD group([88.51?35.01] ng/L vs [11.76?3.63] ng/L)and PD group([87.85?33.65] ng/L vs [11.76?3.63] ng/L)than in control group. Moreover, the serum level of 1,25-(OH)2VitD was lower in HD and PD groups than in control group ([19.82?4.99] pmol/L vs [48.37?3.47] pmol/L; [24.31?7.11] pmol/L vs [48.37?3.47] pmol/L ), and the level of 1,25-(OH)2VitD was much lower in HD group than in PD group. Pearson relativity analysis showed that serum FGF-23 level was positively correlated with serum creatinine, phosphorus, intact PTH and duration of dialysis(P