Tenuigenin exhibits protective effects against LPS-induced acute kidney injury via inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway

Tenuigenin (TNG) has been reported to have various pharmacological activities, such as anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the protective effects of TNG on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)induced acute kidney injury (AKI) are still not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects and mechanism of TGN on LPS-induced AKI in mice. The kidney histological change, levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine were measured to assess the protective effects of TNG on LPS-induced AKI. The levels of TNIF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 in serum and kidney tissues were detected by ELISA. The extent of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappa B) p65 and the expression of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) were detected by western blot analysis. The results showed that TNG markedly attenuated the histological alterations, BUN and creatinine levels in kidney. TNG also suppressed LPS-induced TNIF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 production. Furthermore, the expression of TLR4 and NF-kappa B activation induced by LPS were markedly inhibited by TNG. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that TNG protected against LPS-induced AKI by inhibiting TLR4/NF-kappa B signaling pathway. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.