Protective effect of ganoderan on renal damage in rats with chronic glomerulonephritis.

PURPOSE To investigate the protective effect of ganoderan on renal damage in rat models with chronic glomerulonephritis induced by adriamycin. METHODS 48 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, nephritic model and ganoderan treatment groups. Changes of the following indices in the three groups were observed 6 weeks after treatment: 24-hour urine protein, albumen, serum creatinine, cholesterol. Histopathological observations of the renal cortex were made by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS Compared with controls, levels of 24-hour urine protein (9.60+/-0.57 mg/d vs. 82.50+/-3.18 mg/d), serum creatinine (35.25+/-2.63 micromol/L vs. 44.75+/-8.06 micromol/L) and cholesterol (1.15+/-0.10 mmol/L vs. 4.02+/-0.25 mmol/L) of rats in the nephritic model group were increased (P < 0.05), and the concentration of albumen was decreased (35.98+/-1.34 g/L vs. 19.05+/-0.62 g/L, P < 0.05). Ganoderan administration decreased 24-hour urine protein (82.50+/-3.18 mg/d vs. 45.01+/-3.94 mg/d, P < 0.05). Following ganoderan, the pathological changes in kidney tissue were improved compared with those in the nephritic model group. CONCLUSION Ganoderan exerts protective effects in rats with chronic glomerulonephritis induced by ADR. Ganoderan reduced 24-hour urine protein, serum creatinine, cholesterol, improving renal function and reducing the severity of renal injury.