α-Boswellic acid ameliorates acute kidney injury by inhibiting the TLR4-mediated inflammatory pathway

doi:10.5246/jcps.2023.07.045

Abstract

Abstract:

α-Boswellic acid (α-BA) is a bioactive compound derived from the resin of the African myrrh tree, which has been shown to have therapeutic potential for a range of inflammatory disorders. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of α-BA on improving ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), both in vivo and in vitro. In this experiment, rats that underwent right nephrectomy and left kidney IRI were administered with α-BA 30 min before IRI. The rats’ renal function was evaluated, and their kidney tissues were subjected to histopathological analysis and TUNEL staining. For in vitro evaluation, the proximal renal tubular cells (HK-2) were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Cell viability, immunofluorescence staining, and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB expressions were investigated. After treatment with α-BA, the levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were significantly reduced in the rats subjected to IRI, and apoptosis was alleviated, along with improvements in renal morphological changes. Moreover, the treatment of HK-2 cells with α-BA effectively reduced the expression of NF-κB p65. Collectively, the results suggested that α-BA improved IRI-induced AKI in part by promoting the survival of renal tubular cells through the TLR4-mediated inflammatory pathway, thereby improving renal function.

Key words: Acute kidney injury, Ischemia reperfusion injury, Inflammation, Apoptosis, α-Boswellic acid

Supporting:

Fan Wang, Ruili Li, Wenjun Wang, Xiaoyan Zhou, Meiyou Liu, Jinyi Zhao, Aidong Wen, Jingwen Wang, Yanyan Jia. α-Boswellic acid ameliorates acute kidney injury by inhibiting the TLR4-mediated inflammatory pathway[J]. Journal of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2023, 32(7): 539-550.

Figures/Tables 6

References 36

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