Protective Effect of Ethanol Extract of Cuscuta chinensis on Lipopolysaccharide‑induced Acute Kidney Injury via Suppressing the Toll‑like Receptors 4‑nuclear factor‑κB Pathway

Background: The seed of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Cuscuta, Convolvulaceae), is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, with a variety of biological activity. However, the efficacy of C. chinensis has not been investigated in renal injury caused by sepsis. Objective: Our research was carried out to evaluate the effect of ethanol extract of C. chinensis seeds (ECCS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in Kunming mice, and explore its underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: ECCS was administered orally (10, 30, and 100 mg/kg bodyweight, once daily) to the AKI mice for 14 consecutive days. On the 14th day, LPS (7 mg/kg) was administered to induce AKI. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), cytokines, and antioxidant index were estimated. The protein phosphorylation was tested by Western blot. Results: Results indicated that ECCS (100 mg/kg) decreased LPS‑induced augmented BUN by 58.54% (P < 0.001) and reduced Cr by 61.57% (P < 0.01), respectively. In addition, the evident reversion of renal pathological damage was observed in ECCS‑pretreated mice. ECCS (100 mg/kg) also exhibited a reduction of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor‑α, interleukin [IL]‑1 β, and IL‑6, P < 0.05 for all) in AKI mice. Furthermore, ECCS blocked the activation of the nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) (p65 and inhibitor kappa B subunit) and reduced the toll‑like receptors 4 (TLR4) expression. Conclusions: The protective effect of ECCS against LPS‑induced AKI was at least partially associated with suppressing of a TLR4‑NF‑κB signaling pathway, which provides evidence of the renal protective function of C. chinensis extract.