Calycosin involved in protective role against adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome: Study

A new study published in the BMC Nephrology highlighted the potential of calycosin (extracts from the traditional Chinese herb Astragali Radix), in reducing proteinuria and reducing symptoms associated with nephrotic syndrome. 

This study used a rat model induced by adriamycin, which is a chemotherapeutic agent known to cause kidney damage, to replicate the pathological features of nephrotic syndrome. The objective was to explore whether calycosin (C16H12O5) could offer a protective effect against the damage.

The experiment involved two adriamycin injections (4 mg/kg in week one and 2 mg/kg in week two) to trigger renal injury. Following this induction, rats were treated with either 10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg of calycosin administered intraperitoneally over a four-week period. Before the animals were euthanized, researchers collected blood and urine samples and measured body weights to assess the compound’s effects.

The findings revealed that calycosin significantly reduced 24-hour urine protein levels as well as serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCR), which reflect kidney function. In addition, it helped lower elevated cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels often associated with nephrotic syndrome. These biochemical markers showed a dose-dependent improvement with calycosin treatment, especially at the higher 20 mg/kg dose.

The kidney index was also reduced by indicating decreased kidney swelling and inflammation. Histological analysis of kidney tissues showed that calycosin reduced glomerular structural damage, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and prevented thickening of the basement membrane, all hallmarks of nephrotic injury.

On a cellular level, calycosin appeared to protect podocytes, the specialized cells crucial to kidney filtration. Western blot analysis showed restored expression of podocyte-specific proteins like podocin and nephrin, both of which were suppressed by adriamycin. Also, TUNEL assays demonstrated that calycosin reduced renal cell apoptosis, further affirming its protective effect.

This study identified a molecular mechanism underlying the efficacy of calycosin; the suppression of the Notch1/Snail signaling pathway. This pathway, known to be activated in kidney injury, contributes to podocyte damage and fibrosis. The ability of calycosin to inhibit this signaling axis offers new insight into how traditional herbal compounds can be harnessed to target complex kidney diseases.

Overall, the findings suggest that calycosin may represent a natural and effective candidate for developing treatments against nephrotic syndrome and other forms of chronic kidney disease, which warrants further investigation and clinical exploration.

Source:

Ma, X., Guan, B., & Pang, L. (2025). Calycosin ameliorates albuminuria in nephrotic syndrome by targeting Notch1/Snail pathway. BMC Nephrology, 26(1), 198. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04113-3