Influence of Tangshen formula on endothelial function and hemorheology in diabetic nephropathy rats

ATM: To explore the influence of Tangshen formula (TS) on endothelial function and blood rheology in diabetic nephropathy (DN) rats. METHODS: The DN rat model was established by intravenous injection of low-dose (30 mg/kg) streptozotocin (STZ) after having the high-fat/high-glucose diets for one month. The animals were divi-ded into DN model group, TS group and valsartan group. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum total cholesterol (TC), serum triglyceride (TG), renal cortex blood flow and hemorheology were monitored. The content of von Willebrand's factor (vWF) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the serum was determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared with normal group, FBG,TC,TG, vWF and PAI-1 were increased in DN model group (P<0.05), and no significant difference of FBG was observed. Compared with normal group, plasma viscosity, Casson viscosity, whole blood high/medium/low-shear viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation index, erythrocyte rigidity index and erythrocyte electrophoresis time were increased, and erythrocyte deformation index was decreased in DN model group (P<0.01). Compared with DN model group, plasma viscosity, Casson viscosity, whole blood high/medium/low-shear viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation index, erythrocyte rigidity index and erythrocyte electrophoresis time were decreased (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference for erythrocyte deformation index in TS group. Compared with normal group, the renal cortex microcirculation blood flow in DN model group was significantly decreased. Compared with DN model group, the renal cortex microcirculation blood flow was significantly increased in TS group (P<0.05), and no significant change in valsartan group was found.CONCLUSION: Tangshen formula plays a protective role in the kidney of diabetic rats by improving the blood rheology and endothelial function, thus ameliorating the renal cortex microcirculation blood flow in experimental diabetic rats.