Cordyceps cicadae Prevents Renal Tubular Epithelial Cell Apoptosis by Regulating the SIRT1/p53 Pathway in Hypertensive Renal Injury

Figure 4

Effects of Cordyceps cicadae (C. cicadae) and resveratrol (RES) on tubular epithelial cell (TEC) apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and angiotensin II (AngII)-treated TECs. (a, b) Apoptosis was assessed with terminal transferase-mediated biotin dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) in the renal tubules of the rats in each group. Scale bar: 100 μm. C. cicadae: SHRs treated with 4 g/kg/d C. cicadae; RES: SHRs treated with 40 mg/kg/d resveratrol. (c, g) Cell viability was assessed with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. (d) Apoptosis was assessed with caspase-3 activity level in culture supernatants of TECs treated with 10% medicated serum containing C. cicadae (CSM) and/or 10 μM EX527 in the presence or absence of 10⁻⁷ mM AngII. (e, f) The caspase-3 activity level was measured amongst the groups. C. cicadae and RES significantly inhibited the TEC apoptosis induced by AngII, and EX527 reversed the effect of CSM on the AngII-induced TEC apoptosis. CSM: TECs treated with 10% CSM; EP: TECs treated with 12.5 μg/ml ergosterol peroxide; RES: TECs treated with 25 μM resveratrol. and , as compared with the WKY or control TECs. and , as compared with the SHR or TECs exposed to AngII. , as compared with TECs exposed to AngII plus CSM.

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