College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, People's Republic of China.
Hum Exp Toxicol. 2013 Feb;32(2):172-85. doi: 10.1177/0960327112462729.
Puerarin (PU), a natural flavonoid, has been reported to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, female Sprague-Dawley rats received lead (Pb) nitrate (300 mg/L, via drinking water) and/or PU (400 mg/kg/day, orally) to investigate the protective effects of PU on Pb-induced renal damage. Renal toxicity was evaluated by detecting urinary proteins excretion as well as levels of serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. Ultrastructural observations and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed on kidney cortex tissues to identify the mitochondrial damage and quantify gene expression levels of cytochrome oxidase submits (COX-I/II/III), respectively. Renal cell damage was assessed by light microscopic examination. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and antioxidant status in kidney were also evaluated. Animals that received both Pb and PU showed a better renal function than those that received Pb alone, with minor pathological damage. Moreover, PU significantly reduced LPO and markedly restored the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants levels in kidney of Pb-treated rats, which may be related to its restoring mitochondrial function. Furthermore, PU administration significantly increased urinary Pb excretion and decreased its level in the serum and kidney. In conclusion, these results suggested that PU reduces renal damage induced by chronic Pb administration through its antioxidant properties and chelating ability.
葛根素（PU）是一种天然黄酮类化合物，具有抗氧化和抗炎活性。本研究中，雌性 Sprague-Dawley 大鼠通过饮用水给予硝酸铅（300mg/L）和/或葛根素（400mg/kg/天，口服），以研究葛根素对铅诱导的肾损伤的保护作用。通过检测尿蛋白排泄以及血清尿素氮和血清肌酐水平来评估肾毒性。对肾皮质组织进行超微结构观察和实时定量聚合酶链反应分析，分别鉴定线粒体损伤和细胞色素氧化酶亚基（COX-I/II/III）的基因表达水平。通过光镜检查评估肾细胞损伤。还评估了肾脏中的脂质过氧化（LPO）水平和抗氧化状态。同时给予 Pb 和 PU 的动物的肾功能优于单独给予 Pb 的动物，其病理损伤较小。此外，葛根素可显著降低 LPO，并显著恢复 Pb 处理大鼠肾脏中酶和非酶抗氧化剂的水平，这可能与其恢复线粒体功能有关。此外，葛根素给药可显著增加尿铅排泄并降低其在血清和肾脏中的水平。综上所述，这些结果表明，葛根素通过其抗氧化特性和螯合能力减轻慢性 Pb 给药引起的肾损伤。
