[Effect of Rheum officinal on the proliferation of renal tubular cells in vitro].

Rat renal tubules were isolated and grown in culture medium. The effects of rheum officinal (RO) on the proliferation of renal tubular cells were investigated. In culture, the addition of the sera obtained from the rat fed with RO inhibited significantly the proliferation of renal tubular cells, and the effect become even more strong with the increase of the dosage or the long time of administration of RO to the rat. The ingredient RO--emodin added directly to culture medium suppressed the proliferation of renal tubular cells in a dose dependent manner, as measured by the uptake of radiolabeled thymidine. This observation may help explain the beneficial effects of RO in the treatment of chronic renal failure.