Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effects of Qijin granules on high glucose-induced proliferation, apoptosis and expression of nuclear factor-κB and MCP-1 in rat glomerular mesangial cells

Yuanfeng Yang¹, Gaocai Xiong² , Renhui Yang¹, Yuchuan Li¹, Yuling Luo¹, Ruihong Xiong¹

¹Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; ²The Third People's Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.

For correspondence:- Gaocai Xiong Email: bbmmknight_36@163.com Tel:+8613765058815

Accepted: 9 August 2021 Published: 30 September 2021

Citation: Yang Y, Xiong G, Yang R, Li Y, Luo Y, Xiong R. Effects of Qijin granules on high glucose-induced proliferation, apoptosis and expression of nuclear factor-κB and MCP-1 in rat glomerular mesangial cells. Trop J Pharm Res 2021; 20(9):1819-1826 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i9.6

© 2021 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of Qijin granules on high glucose-induced proliferation and apoptosis in rat glomerular mesangial cells (MC).

Methods: MC cells from rats were passaged and cultured, and randomly divided into control group (CNG), high glucose group (HGG), Western medicine group (WMG, high glucose + Benazepril + Gliquidone), and Qijin granules 1/2/3 group (high glucose + different doses of Qijin granules). Mesangial cells proliferation was measured using MTT assay. The NF-κB, MCP-1 and inflammatory factors in supernatant were determined by ELISA. Apoptosis rate and cell cycle were assessed by flow cytometry. The apoptosis-related TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway-related protein expressions were measured by Western blot.

Results: The A-value and early apoptosis rate, apoptosis rate and S-phase percentage, and protein expressions of NF-κB, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-2, TNF-?, Bax, Cyt-C, caspase-3, TGF-β1, and p-Smad3 of MC cells in the HGG at 12 h, 24 h and 48 h were higher than those in the CNG. The above indices were lower in the WMG, and Qijin granules 1/2/3 groups than in the HGG. The Bcl-2, Smad7 protein expression level and the percentage of G1 and G2/M phase were lower in the HGG than in the CNG, and the above indeices were higher in the WMG and Qijin granules 1/2/3 group than in HGG.

Conclusion: Qijin granules can dose-dependently inhibit high glucose-induced proliferation and apoptosis in rat MC cells, block the cell cycle and reduce inflammatory responses. This may be related to the regulation of NF-κB, MCP-1 and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathways. These findings provide theoretical and experimental basis for the clinical treatment of early diabetic nephropathy.

Keywords: Glomerular mesangial cells, Hyperglycemia, Qijin granules, Cell proliferation, Apoptosis, NF-κB