Journal of Inflammation Research (Jul 2023)
Research Progress of Cordyceps sinensis and Its Fermented Mycelium Products on Ameliorating Renal Fibrosis by Reducing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
Abstract
Yaling Zhang,1,2 Kaiyun Li,1 Chao Zhang,1 Hui Liao,3 Rongshan Li1 1Department of Nephrology, Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University (Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital), Taiyuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Nephrology, Taiyuan Central Hospital, Taiyuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pharmacy, Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University (Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital), Taiyuan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Rongshan Li, Department of Nephrology, Fifth Hospital of Shanxi Medical University (Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital), No. 29 Shuangtasi Street, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, 030012, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Renal fibrosis is a hallmark and common outcome of various chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) and manifests pathologically as accumulation and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the kidney. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to be an important mechanism involved in renal fibrosis. Cordyceps sinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used for the treatment of renal fibrosis. As research on the mycelium of C. sinensis progressed, a variety of medicines developed from fermented mycelium were used to treat CKD. However, their efficacies and mechanisms have not been fully summarized. In this review, five medicines developed from fermented mycelium of C. sinensis are presented. The pharmacodynamic effects of C. sinensis on different animal models of renal fibrosis are summarized. The in vitro studies and related mechanisms of C. sinensis on renal cells are detailed. Finally, the application and efficacy of these five commercial medicines that meet national standards in different types of CKD are summarized. From this review, it can be concluded that C. sinensis can alleviate various causes of renal fibrosis to some extent, and its mechanism is related to TGF-β 1 dependent signaling, inhibition of inflammation, and improvement of renal function. Further research on rigorously designed, large-sample, clinically randomized controlled trial studies and detailed mechanisms should be conducted.Keywords: renal fibrosis, Cordyceps sinensis, fermented mycelium products, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
