Qufeng Tongluo acupuncture prevents the progression of glomerulonephritis by decreasing renal sympathetic nerve activity

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Although the exact mechanism(s) underlying acupuncture remain unknown, acupuncture and acupuncture-like somatic nerve stimulation have been used to treat different kidney diseases and several complications related to them. The aim of this preliminary study was to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture on glomerulonephritis (GN) according to the theory of Wind-hided renal collaterals previously proposed. Material and methods: We used a New Zealand white rabbit model of cationized bovine serum albumin (cBSA)-induced glomerulonephritis and then administered them metoprolol, irbesartan or acupuncture to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment and preliminarily explore its potential mechanism. Results: After immunization, our results showed that compared to the cBSA+MET and cBSA+IRB medication groups, Qufeng Tongluo significantly lowered parameters of renal function and improved podocyte injury in the 3rd, 6th and 8th weeks of treatment. Moreover, acupuncture increased the protein expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2. Conclusions: Our study suggests that a potential mechanism by which acupuncture has an antihypertensive effect and can significantly halt deteriorating renal function due to cBSA GN might be mediated by inhibiting the Erk1/2 MAPK pathway to reduce renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.