Effect of Tangshen formula on alleviating oxidative renal injury in UUO mice by downregulated expression of NADPH oxidase

Objective: To explore the effect of Tangshen formula on the oxidative renal injury in UUO mice. Method: Seven-week-old male mice C57BL/6N were selected and randomly divided into sham-surgery group, UUO model group (UUO-7d and UUO-14d), Tangshen formula (TF) group (UUO + TF-7d and UUO + TF-14d) and fosinopril group (UUO + fosinopril-7d, UUO + fosinopril-14d). The model were established after 5d medication, and continuous postoperative medications for 7d or 14d were also carried out. The renal pathology was observed, the MDA concentration and SOD activity of renal tissue and serum were evaluated, along with the expression of NADPH oxidase in renal tissue. Result: Compared with that of sham-surgery group, the inflammatory cells in renal interstitium of UUO mice is characterized by diffuse infiltration and dramatical proliferation of collagen fibers, while the introduction of Tangshen formula helps to alleviate this situation, which decreases MDA concentration (all P < 0.001 for renal tissue and serum) but increases SOD activity (P < 0.001 in renal tissue, P < 0.05 in serum), as well as downregulates the expression of Nox4 (P < 0.001) and phosphorylated p47phox (P < 0.001) in renal tissue. Conclusion: Tangshen formula alleviates the pathological injury of renal tissue in UUO mice and fibrosis of renal interstitium, the underlying mechanism is relative to the downregulated expression of NADPH oxidase, upon which the oxidative stress level of kidney and serum in UUO mice is decreased.