A Chinese herb for anti-inflammation, blood circulation promotion and spasmolysis improves renal ultrastructure of rats undergoing 4-week exhaustive exercise at simulated altitude of 4 000 meters

BACKGROUND: Chinese herb for anti-inflammation, blood circulation promotion and spasmolysis can repair the kidney, supply renal blood, reduce the permeability of the glomerular capillaries, and enhance renal filtration function. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of a Chinese herb for anti-inflammation, blood circulation promotion and spasmolysis on ultrastructure of renal cells and a-smooth muscle actin in rats after 4-week exhaustive exercise living at simulated altitude of 4 000 meters. METHODS: Thirty-two rats which could complete 15-minute adaptive run on the treadmill at a speed of 10 m/min were enrolled and randomized into normal control group, exhaustive exercise group, exhaustive exercise+high-altitude group and exhaustive exercise+Chinese herb group, eight rats in each group. Except the normal control group, rats in the other three groups were subjected to exhaustive exercise, living at simulated altitude of 4 000 meters followed by exhaustive exercise, and intragastric administration of Chinese herb followed by 4-week exhaustive exercise, respectively. The ultrastructure of renal cells in rats was observed by hematoxylin eosin staining and transmission electron microscope, and expression of a-smooth muscle actin detected by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the exhaustive exercise group, rats appeared to have chronic renal injury, the ultrastructure of glomerular filtration membrane was damaged and tubulointerstitial fibrosis occurred. As compared with the exhaustive exercise group, the movement distance of rats in the exhaustive exercise+high-altitude group and exhaustive exercise+Chinese herb group was extended (P < 0.05), and the damaged ultrastructure of the kidney was more obviously improved; in addition, the expression of a-smooth muscle actin was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Results show that the Chinese herb for anti-inflammation, blood circulation promotion and spasmolysis combined with living at simulated altitude of 4 000 meters can protect against renal ultrastructure damage in rats following 4-week exhaustive exercise.