Nephroprotective mechanism of Kunkui Baoshen decoction in diabetic kidney disease: Targeting the HERC2/NCOA4-mediated autophagy-dependent ferroptosis pathway

Figure 2 Kunkui Baoshen decoction alleviates renal tissue damage in db/db mice. Histopathological evaluation of renal tissues using various staining techniques at magnifications of 20 × and 40 × (scale bars = 50 μm) and quantitative analyses across all groups. A: Hematoxylin and eosin staining to assess overall tissue architecture and renal tubular damage; B: Periodic acid-Schiff staining to evaluate glomerular basement membrane thickening and mesangial expansion; C: Masson’s trichrome staining to identify collagen deposition and renal fibrosis; D: Oil Red O staining to visualize lipid accumulation in kidney tissues. L-KKBS: Low-dose Kunkui Baoshen decoction; H-KKBS: High-dose Kunkui Baoshen decoction; HE: Hematoxylin and eosin; PAS: Periodic acid-Schiff. ^bP < 0.01 vs db/m group, ^cP < 0.001 vs db/m group, ^dP < 0.0001 vs db/m group; ^eP < 0.05 vs db/db group, and ^fP < 0.01 vs db/db group.