Celastrol improves kidney damage in spontaneous hypertensive rats by regulating the Nrf2/Ho-1 pathway

The natural triterpenoid celastrol, which comes from Tripterygium wilfordii, has a variety of biological effects. We investigated Celastrol improves kidney damage in spontaneous hypertensive rats by regulating the Nrf2/Ho-1 pathway. A total of 24 12-week-old male spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) were randomly allotted to four groups [control group, SHR group, L-CSL + SHR group (0.02 mg/kg/d) and H-CSL + SHR group (0.04 mg/kg/d)]. The results showed that CSL group significantly decrease levels REN, Angiotensin, ACE and ALD and decrease expression levels of TNF- α , IL-1 β and increase expression levels of IL-6 in serum compared with SHR group. Kidney functions, CSL group significantly decrease level of MDA and increase SOD, GSH-Px and CAT compared with SHR group. CSL had a significant inhibitory effect on the increase in the relative expression abundance of Keap1. The Nrf2, Nqo1 and Ho-1 mRNAs were found to be significantly lower in the CSL compared with SHR group. The results show that CSL significantly reduces the pathology of kidney damage in spontaneous hypertensive rats by activating Nrf2/Ho-1, and provides treatment strategies for the kidney damage.