Protective effect of italicShenfu Injection/italic (参附注射液) on sepsis-associated acute kidney injury through regulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway mediated by neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation

Key Points

• Investigate the protective effects of Shenfu Injection on sepsis-associated acute kidney injury and the mechanisms involving the Nrf2 signaling pathway and NETs formation.
• C57BL/6 mice randomly assigned to six groups, including control, sepsis, Nrf2 inhibition, saline, Shenfu treatment, and Shenfu + Nrf2 inhibition groups.
• Sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), monitoring weight, kidney function, inflammatory markers, and NET levels.
• CLP group exhibited weight loss, lethargy, and decreased kidney function; siNrf2 group showed worsened symptoms with reduced Nrf2 protein levels.
• Shenfu treatment group significantly improved kidney function and inflammatory markers (P<0.05).
• SA + siNrf2 group demonstrated reduced kidney injury and inflammation, with increased Nrf2 expression compared to NS but weaker protection compared to SA group (P<0.05).