Objective: To explore the material foundation of kidney-yang-deficiency syndrome.
Methods: Two kinds of rat models of deficiency of kidney-yang were induced by adenine intragastric administration (model I) and hydrocortisone intramuscular injection (model II). One hundred rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model I group, low-dose model II group, medium-dose model II group and high-dose model II group. After model establishment, contents of serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and urine creatinine (UCr) were detected by automatic biochemistry analyzer; freezing point method was used for 24-hour urinary osmotic pressure (Uosm) testing and kaolinite method was used to detect the content of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS). Expression of aquaporin-1 in renal tissue was observed by using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Results: The rats of model groups had the characteristics of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome. The contents of SCr and BUN were significantly higher in model I group than in normal control group and three model II groups (P<0.05), and UCr and Uosm were significantly lower (P<0.05). The level of urinary 17-OHCS and expression of aquaporin-1 in renal tissue were decreased in the model I group (P<0.05) as compared with the normal control group. Compared with the normal control group, the content of SCr was increased and urinary 17-OHCS was decreased in the medium-dose model II group, but the expression of aquaporin-1 was increased in three model II groups with a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusion: Aquaporin-1 may be one of the material foundations of kidney-yang-deficiency syndrome.