Acupuncture improve proteinuria in diabetic kidney disease rats by inhibiting ferroptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

• Published in: Heliyon 2024-07, Vol.10 (13), p.e33675, Article e33675
• Main Authors: Yue, J.I., Xin-yuan, Z.H.A.N.G., Yun-ming, X.I.A.O., Zi-hao, Z.H.U.A.N.G., Xiao-hui, Y.A.N.G., Xin-ju, L.I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Diabetic kidney disease; Ferroptosis
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33675

To explore the mechanism of acupuncture to relieve diabetic proteinuria in Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD). A total of 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected as the negative control group (NC), and a further 30 rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ). The DKD model rats in the model group (DKD) and the acupuncture group (DKD + Acu) were randomly assigned. After 4 weeks of intervention, collected urine, peripheral blood, and renal tissues from all rats, and assessed blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, triglyceride, 24-h urine protein quantification, and blood glucose, left kidney weight, kidney body ratio index, then observe changes in renal histology in the rats. The renal cortex tissues of three rats from each group were sent for transcriptomic analysis. According to the results of transcriptomic analysis, various kits were used to detect SOD, MDA, GSH, GSH-px, and iron concentration. The expression levels of GPX4 and System Xc-, members of the antioxidative stress pathway, and TfR 1, SLC39A14, FTH 1, and SLC40A1, involved in iron metabolism, in the kidney tissues were measured by western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The expression of mesenchymal phenotype markers and podocyte-specific markers were evaluated by immunofluorescence. Acupuncture promoted the levels of GSH, GSH-px, and SOD, decreased the level of MDA (P