Yi Shen An, a Chinese traditional prescription, ameliorates membranous glomerulonephritis induced by cationic bovine serum albumin in rats

Context Yi Shen An (YSA) is an investigational composite of traditional Chinese medicine (Reference: 2010L000974) for the treatment of renal disease. Objective To investigate the protective effects of YSA against membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN). Materials and methods Male Sprague–Dawley rats were injected with cationic bovine serum albumin (C-BSA) to create a model of MGN. Then, rats were orally treated with YSA at doses of 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 g/kg for 35 successive days; prednisone (5 mg/kg) was used as a positive control. At the end of the experimental period, we performed a series of tests, including 24 h urinary protein, and biochemical, immunological, antioxidative, coagulation indices, and histopathological examination. Results YSA-1 g/kg significantly lowered urinary protein from 68.37 to 30.74 mg (p