Effects of rhein on intestinal epithelial tight junction in IgA nephropathy

Table 1 Average optical density value of occludin and zona occludens protein-1

	Control group	IgAN group	Rhein-treated group	Rhein-prevented group
In immunofluorescence (× 10-2)
Occludin	12.35 ± 4.17	4.23 ± 0.85b	9.46 ± 2.40bd	10.97 ± 3.40d
ZO-1	10.03 ± 1.96	5.37 ± 1.27b	8.81 ± 2.30d	11.16 ± 3.52df
In reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
Occludin	0.97 ± 0.25	0.40 ± 0.15b	0.76 ± 0.31ad	0.82 ± 0.22d
ZO-1	0.92 ± 0.24	0.42 ± 0.19b	0.64 ± 0.16bd	0.81 ± 0.17de

The results were normalized to the respective β-actin expression.

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs control group;

^dP < 0.01 vs IgA nephropathy (IgAN) group;

^eP < 0.05 vs Rhein-treated group;

^fP < 0.01 vs Rhein-prevented group.

Table 2 Grey level of occludin and zona occludens protein-1 in Western blotting

	Control group	IgAN group	Rhein-treated group	Rhein-prevented group
Occludin	1.38 ± 0.31	0.72 ± 0.15b	1.15 ± 0.17d	1.34 ± 0.21d
ZO-1	1.98 ± 0.43	0.85 ± 0.12b	1.57 ± 0.23ad	2.07 ± 0.41df

The results were normalized to the respective β-actin expression.

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs control group;

^dP < 0.01 vs IgA nephropathy (IgAN) group;

^fP < 0.01 vs Rhein-treated group.

Table 3 Ratio of urinary lactulose/mannitol

	Concentration of lactulose	Concentration of mannitol	Ratio of them
Control	5.73 ± 0.37	2.10 ± 0.05	2.72 ± 0.21
IgAN group	7.38 ± 1.42b	2.08 ± 0.11	3.55 ± 0.68b
Rhein-treated group	6.02 ± 0.31d	2.10 ± 0.05	2.87 ± 0.18d
Rhein-prevented group	6.06 ± 0.97c	2.15 ± 0.07	2.83 ± 0.43d

^bP < 0.01 vs control group;

^dP < 0.01 vs IgA nephropathy (IgAN) group;

^cP < 0.05 vs Rhein-treated group.