Tongfu Huoxue Decoction Reduces Autophagy and Apoptosis to Protect Against Acute Renal Injury in a Rat Model of Sepsis
Abstract Background: To investigate the mechanism by which Tongfu Huoxue decoction protects against acute kidney injury in sepsis in rats, and provide a new therapeutic strategy for clinical intervention.Methods: Thirty-two Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (saline), model group (lipopolysaccharide LPS group), LPS group+Tongfu Huoxue Decoction high-dose group (H group), and LPS group +Tongfu Huoxue Decoction low-dose group (L group). A rat model of acute kidney injury in sepsis was established by administration of LPS, and Tongfu Huoxue decoction was administered by gavage. The pathological and morphological changes of the kidneys were evaluated according to the levels of urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood creatinine (SCr). The expression of the inflammation-related factors IL-1b, IL-6 and TNF-a was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Changes in the phosphorylation levels of the autophagy and apoptosis-related proteins LC3, beclin-1, caspase-3 and Akt were detected by Western blot analysis. Results: Compared with the model LPS group, kidney tissue damage was reduced in rats treated with Tongfu Huoxue decoction. The expression levels of inflammation-related and autophagy-related proteins in the kidney tissue of rats treated with Tongfu Huoxue decoction were significantly lower than those in the LPS group, which was showed a dose-dependent decrease in expression. After stimulation of HK-2 cells with LPS, the expression levels of the autophagy and apoptosis in the groups treated with Tongfu Huoxue decoction decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the rate of HK-2 cell apoptosis was higher in the LPS group than that in the control group, with lower rates in the H and L groups than that in the LPS group and were dose-dependent.Conclusion: Tongfu Huoxue decoction protects against acute renal injury in sepsis by reducing autophagy and apoptosis.