Protective Effect of Triptolide against Glomerular Mesangial Cell Proliferation and Glomerular Fibrosis in Rats Involves the TGF-β1/Smad Signaling Pathway

Figure 5

Renal pathological changes of the different groups at different time points. Triptolide alleviated pathological damage of rat renal tissues in chronic serum sickness glomerulonephritis model group. There was no significant hyperplasia in the glomerular mesangial cells and cellular matrix, with no obvious broadening of the mesangial region in the renal tissues from the normal control group. However, there was significant hyperplasia in the glomerular mesangial cells and cellular matrix, with significant broadening of the mesangial region in the renal tissues obtained from the model group, increasing with respect to time, with the tendency to glomerular fibrosis. The lesions of the triptolide treatment group were, however, alleviated.