Effect of Blood-activating and Stasis-dissolving Herbs on Renin Angiotensin System in Diabetic Nephropathy Rats

Objective To observe the effect of blood-activating and stasis-dissolving herbs on rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its mechanism.Methods Forty-six healthy male Sprague-Dauley rats were randomized into normal group (10 rats) and DN model group (36 rats) was established by streptozotocin injection into abdominal cavity, which was subrandominzed into model group, benazepril group, and herbal group, 12 rats in each. One week after modelling, the treatment groups were medicated by gavage in the same volume, and the normal and model groups were given distilled water of the same volume in succession for 23 weeks, and then killed. HE and PAS staining was done to observe the pathological changes of renal tissues, radioimmunoassay was used to determine the level of angiotensinⅡ(Ang Ⅱ), ultraviolet spectrophotometry was applied to measure the activity of angiotensin conversion enzyme (ACE), and immunohistochemistry was employed to test the expressions of ACE and ACE-related carboxypeptidase (ACE2) in the renal tissues of rats.Results Compared with the model group, the thickened glomerular basement membrane, increased mesangial cells, proliferated mesangial matrix, and enlarged mesangial area became lightened. In addition, herbal treatment could decrease the level of AngⅡand active ACE (P0.05) and increase the expression of ACE2 (P0.05).Conclusion The blood-activating and stasis-dissolving herbs have the function to reduce the pathological damage of DN, possibly partially through the regulation of renin angiotensin system.