BACKGROUNDStevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are life-threatening diseases with high mortality rates. This study was designed to analyze the pathogenic factors, clinical manifestations, complications, treatment, and prognosis of SJS/TEN and to explore the differences between surviving and deceased patients.

METHODSSJS/TEN patients admitted to Beijing Friendship Hospital from January 2006 to December 2015 were included in the study. Patients' data were retrospectively analyzed. Comparative studies were performed on the survival group and the deceased group, and Fisher's exact probability test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTSAmong the 88 patients included, 40 (45.5%) were male with a mean age of 45 ± 18 years. Forty-eight (54.5%) had SJS, 34 (38.6%) had SJS/TEN, and 6 (6.8%) had TEN. Fifty-three (60.2%) cases were caused by medications, mainly antibiotics (n = 24) followed by traditional Chinese medicines (n = 7). Forty-two cases (47.7%) developed visceral damage. Eighty-two patients improved or recovered and were discharged from hospital, and six patients died. Comparative studies on the survival group and the deceased group showed that the presence of malignant tumor ( χ2 = 27.969,P < 0.001), connective tissue diseases ( χ2 = 9.187, P= 0.002), previous abnormal liver/kidney functions ( χ2 = 6.006, P= 0.014), heart rate >100 times/min ( χ2 = 6.347, P= 0.012), detached skin area >20% ( χ2 = 5.594, P= 0.018), concurrent mucosal involvement at the mouth, eyes, and external genitals ( χ2 = 4.945, P= 0.026), subsequent accompanying liver/kidney damage ( χ2 = 11.839, P= 0.001, and χ2 = 36.302,P < 0.001, respectively), and SCORTEN score >2 ( χ2 = 37.148,P < 0.001) increased the risk of death.

CONCLUSIONSSJS/TEN is mainly caused by medications, and nearly half of patients develop visceral damage. Multiple factors increase the mortality risk.

Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Eye ; pathology ; Female ; Genitalia ; pathology ; Humans ; Kidney ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mouth ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; metabolism ; pathology ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology

The inflammatory reaction of renal tissues and its relevant tissue damages (such as glomerulosclerosis and renal interstitial fibrosis) are important factors for the development of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) to end-state renal diseases. Of them, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating expression and bioactivity of multiple nuclear transcription factors, impacting synthesis of downstream inflammatory mediators and activating inflammatory cells. Some monomer traditional Chinese medicines and their extracts (such as emodin and berberine) and some traditional Chinese medicine compound prescriptions (such as Yishen Huoxue decoction) can affect inflammatory reaction of renal tissues by regulating p38MAPK signaling pathway, thas improving reduce glomerulus and renal interstitial inflammatory injury.
Animals ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

In Japan, Saireito and Onpi-to are widely used Japanese herbal medicine in the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is a world-wide public health issue. In this review, it has been discussed the beneficial effects of Japanese herbal medicine, including Sairei-to and Onpi-to on multifarious renal damage in progression of CKD, such as mesangial lesion, inflammatory cell infiltration, cytokine expression, reactive oxygen species release, and aldosterone disorder, and then to clarify the mechanism of these herbs at molecular level by examining the effects on various injurious factors. Both Saireito and Onpi-to are effective agents for delaying the progression of CKD.
Animals ; Chronic Disease ; drug therapy ; Herbal Medicine ; trends ; Humans ; Japan ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phytotherapy ; trends ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo explore the potential mechanisms of huangkui capsule (HKC), an extract from Abelmoschus manihot (AM), for ameliorating renal inflammatory injury by regulating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in rats with adriamycin-induced nephropathy (ADRN).

METHODNineteen Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups, the sham-operation group, the untreated model group,and the HKC-treated group. Rats in the untreated model group and the HKC-treated group were made into ADRN model by right nephrectomy and twice intravenous injections of adriamycin( ADR, 0.4 mL and 0.2 mL respectively within 4 weeks). After the model successfully established, rats in the HKC-treated group were orally given HKC (2 mg x kg(-1) per day), while rats in the untreated model group and the sham-operation group were intervened with distilled water respectively. The intervention for all rats was 4 weeks. Rats' body weight were weighted and 24 h urinary protein excretion (Upro) was detected at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th week after the intervention of HKC or distilled water. All rats were sacrificed at the end of the 8th week after nephrectomy, and then, to withdraw blood and kidney to examine the blood biochemical parameters, the glomerular morphological changes, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen type I expressions,and the glomerular macrophages infiltration. Besides, the protein expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, p38MAPK, as well as phosphorylated p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK) in renal tissues were detected by Western blotting.

RESULTAs compared with rats in the untreated model group, in the HKC-treated group,the HKC treatment significantly improved Upro, serum albumin, mesangial cell proliferation, extracellular matrix (ECM) and collagen deposition,and decreased the expression of alpha-SMA and collagen type I and the infiltration of ED1+ and ED3+ cells in glomeruli. In addition, it significantly down-regulated the protein expression of TGF-beta1 and p-p38MAPK in renal tissues.

CONCLUSIONHKC had the effects on ameliorating renal inflammatory injury in vivo. It could reduce the expression of TGF-beta1 and improve the infiltration and activation of inflammatory cells in glomeruli by way of intervening p38MAPK signaling pathway in kidney through down-regulating the protein expression of p-p38MAPK, as the key signal molecule.

Animals ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Doxorubicin ; adverse effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Extracellular Matrix ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Function Tests ; Kidney Glomerulus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the renal protective effect of Xinganbao Capsule on rats with adriamycin induced nephropathy (AIN).

METHODSForty male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., the normal control group (N), the AIN model group (M), the Benazepril group (B),and the Xinganbao Capsule group (X). AIN rat model was established by left unilateral nephrectomy and repeated caudal vein injection of adriamycin. Gastric perfusion of xinganbao Capsule (at the dose of 500 mg/kg per day) and Benazepril (at the dose of 4 mg/kg per day) was given to rats in the X group and the B group respectively one week after nephrectomy. Rats were sacrificed at the 8th week after medication. The 24-h urinary protein excretion (24 h-UP) and blood biochemical indices were determined. Renal tissues were collected for pathological changes under light and electron microscopes. Expressions of fibronection (FN), collagen IV (COL-IV), and osteopontin (OPN) in renal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. mRNA levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured by fluorescent Real-time PCR.

RESULTSWhen compared with the model group, 24 h-UP, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine (SCr), and blood lipids levels were significantly lowered in the X group. The mesangial matrix percentage was less in the X group than in the M group. Renal FN, COL-IV, and OPN expressions more significantly decreased in the X group than in the M group. Similarly mRNA expressions of TGF-beta1,, TIMP-1, PAl-1 in renal tissues obviously decreased.

CONCLUSIONXinganbao Capsule could exert its renal protective action possibly through reducing the urinary protein excretion, correcting lipid metabolic disturbance, inhibiting excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix, decreasing the expression of fibrosis factors, and improving the pathological damage of kidneys in the AIN rat model.

Animals ; Benzazepines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Doxorubicin ; adverse effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the common ending of progressive renal disease. It is worth developing new ways to stop the progress of renal fibrosis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonists have been studied to treat diabetic nephropathy, cisplatin-induced acute renal injury, ischemia reperfusion injury and adriamycin nephropathy. In this study, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) was used to establish a different renal fibrosis model. PPAR? agonist pioglitazone was administrated by oral gavage and saline was used as control. At 7th and 14th day after the operation, mice were sacrificed for fibrosis test and T lymphocytes subsets test. Unexpectedly, through MASSON staining, immunohistochemistry for α-SMA, and Western blotting for a-SMA and PDGFR-β, we found that pioglitazone failed to attenuate renal fibrosis in UUO mice. However, flow cytometry showed that pioglitazone down-regulated Th1 cells, and up-regulated Th2 cells, Th17 cells and Treg cells. But the Th17/Treg ratio had no significant change by pioglitazone. Real-time PCR results showed that TGF-β and MCP-1 had no significant changes, at the same time, CD4(+) T cells associated cytokines were partially regulated by pioglitazone pretreatment. Taken together, pioglitazone failed to suppress renal fibrosis progression caused by UUO.
Animals ; Chemokine CCL2 ; metabolism ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; Thiazolidinediones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism ; Urethral Obstruction ; complications

OBJECTIVETo study the effect and mechanism of Kangxianling (KXL, a Chinese compound recipe) in treating adriamycin (ADR) induced renal fibrosis rats.

METHODSForty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, the normal group (n = 7), the sham operative group (n = 8), the model group (n = 15), and the treatment group (n = 15). Model of renal interstitial fibrosis was established in rats by unilateral nephrectomy and intravenous injection of ADR twice at a 30-day interval, and the rats in the treatment group treated with KXL once a day for 72 days. Body weight, serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and endogenous creatinine clearance rate (CCr) of animals were analyzed at the end of the 4th and the 8th week after operation. Rats were sacrificed after 72 days of treatment and their kidney obtained for pathological examination with HE and PASM staining. And protein expression levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) receptor I (TbetaR I), TGF-beta receptor II (TbetaR II), Smad2 and Smad7 were determined by Western blotting.

RESULTSLevels of SCr and BUN in animals of the model group were significantly higher and CCr lower than those in the normal group (P < 0.05). Pathological examination of kidney in the model group showed thickened glomerular/tubular basement membrane with segmental sclerosis and hyaline degeneration; atrophy of the renal tubule around the sclerotic glomeruli and part of them disappeared; hypertrophy of partial glomeruli with surrounding severe dilated tubules; obvious glomeruli centering phenomena; severe tubular epithelial cell degeneration, necrosis with protein cast; fibrous tissue proliferation and large amount of inflammatory cell interstitial infiltration. The protein expression of TbetaR I and Smad2 in kidney tissue of the model group were significantly up-regulated, while that of TbetaR II and Smad7 unchanged. After KXL intervention, level of BUN lowered, SCr tended to normal and the endogenous SCr was raised to some degree. The renal pathological status in the treatment group was significantly improved and with markedly lowering of TbetaR I and Smad2 protein expression.

CONCLUSIONKXL could inhibit the protein expression of TbetaR I and Smad2 in kidney tissue, so as to alleviate the renal fibrosis induced by adriamycin and improve the renal function.

Animals ; Doxorubicin ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Smad2 Protein ; biosynthesis ; Smad7 Protein ; biosynthesis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic liver disease are both very harmful to human health almost all over the world, which lead to the fibrosis of the two organs ultimately. Currently, there are few satisfactory therapeutic methods in treating the two diseases. Some research works from Chinese medicine and Western medicine were done in the area recently, the results showed that kidney and liver fibrosis shared similar biological signals and events such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and transforming growth factor β 1, the same herbal mesenchymal medicine exhibited significantly improving effects on both liver fibrosis and kidney fibrosis by involving similar mechanism. This coincides with the theory of homogeny of Liver (Gan) and Kidney (Shen) of Chinese medicine. It would provides new clues in exploring the treatment of liver fibrosis and kidney fibrosis.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Models, Biological ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Huaiqihuang Granules (, HQH), a mixture of Chinese herbs including Trametes robiniophila Murr, Fructus Lycii and Polygonatum sibiricum, on adriamycininduced nephropathy (ADRN) in rats and its underlying mechanisms.

METHODSRats with ADRN were divided into four groups: the sham group, the model group (distilled water), the low-dose HQH-treated (2 g/kg) group, and the high-dose HQH-treated (4 g/kg) group. Body weight and 24-h urinary protein (Upro) were checked every week. After 5-week intervention, at the end of the study, the rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected for examination of biochemical parameters, including glomerular morphological makers, podocyte shape, cellular apoptosis, expressions of nephrin, inflammatory and apoptosis markers.

RESULTSHQH ameliorated the rat's general status, proteinuria, renal morphological appearance and glomerulosclerosis. The decreased expression of nephrin in ADRN rats was increased by HQH, as well as the impaired podocyte foot process fusion. Cytosolic levels of p65 and inhibitor of nuclear factor κBα (IκBα) were decreased in ADRN rats, and recovered by the treatment of HQH. Consistently, the induced expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), phosphorylated nuclear factor κB p65 (p-NFκB p65) and IκBα in ADRN were markedly suppressed by HQH. In addition, induction of Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and cytochrome C in ADRN rats were suppressed by HQH, indicating the amelioration of apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONHQH could ameliorate renal impairments in ADRN rats by increasing nephrin expression, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway via the down-regulation of p-NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα, and suppression of glomerular and tubular apoptosis.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Doxorubicin ; adverse effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Kidney ; drug effects ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; complications ; drug therapy ; Kidney Glomerulus ; drug effects ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Kidney Tubules ; drug effects ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Proteinuria ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Transcription Factor RelA ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of urokinase on renal interstitial fibrosis and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in the kidney of rats with chronic cyclosporine A nephropathy.

METHODSMale Sprague-Dawley rats on low-salt diet were randomly divided into control (VH), CsA-treated (CsA), CsA+2000 U/kg.day uPA (CsA+U2) and CsA+6000 U.kg.3 days (CsA+U6) groups. The rats were given CsA intragastrically for 4 weeks to prepare CsA-induced chronic nephropathy model. Masson staining was used to examine fibrin deposition. Western blotting and reversal transcription polymerase chain reaction were employed to evaluate urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and TGF-beta1 protein and gene expressions, respectively.

RESULTSCsA can increase fibrin deposition and the expression of TGF-beta1 in the renal tissue, which were significantly reduced after uPA treatment (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONContinuous low-dose uPA treatment can reduce renal interstitial fibrosis in rats possibly in association with its inhibitory effect on TGF-beta1 expression.

Animals ; Cyclosporine ; Fibrosis ; prevention & control ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use