To investigate the effect of Yishen Huashi granules on the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the kidneys of rats with chronic renal failure.

Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, losartan group, low-dose group, and high-dose group. Except the control group, the other groups of rats were given adenine 200 mg/(kg·d) through gavage to establish the animal model of chronic renal failure. After the modeling was successful, the control group and model group were given 10 ml/(kg·d) of normal saline by gavage, while the losartan group was given 10 ml/(kg·d) of losartan suspension by gavage, and the low-dose group and high-dose group were given 2.5 g/(kg·d) and 5.0 g/(kg·d) of Yishen Huashi granules suspension by gavage, respectively. After 8 weeks of the above treatment, the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA in renal tissues were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting, and the pathological changes were observed after Masson staining.

Compared with the control group, the model group showed significant increases of the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA (P<0.01). Compared with model group, all the three treatment groups showed decreases of the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA of the high-dose group and losartan group were lower than those in the low-dose group (all P<0.05). Masson staining showed that collagen deposition was reduced in all the three treatment groups.

Yishen Huashi granules could reduce the renal mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA in rats with chronic renal failure induced by adenine, suggesting that it might have a potential effect on improving renal interstitial fibrosis in rats with chronic renal failure.