The nephrotoxicity of aristolochic acid (AA) is well known, but information regarding the attenuation of AA-induced toxicity is limited. The aim of the present study was to study the nephroprotective effects of resveratrol (Resv) and ursolic acid (UA) in a zebrafish model. We used two transgenic lines, Tg(wt1b:EGFP) and Tg(gata1:DsRed), to evaluate the nephroprotective effects of Resv and UA by recording subtle changes in the kidney and red blood cell circulation. Our results demonstrated that both Resv and UA treatment can attenuate AA-induced kidney malformations and improve blood circulation. Glomerular filtration rate assays revealed that both Resv and UA treatment can restore renal function (100% for Mock; 56.1% ± 17.3% for AA-treated; 80.2% ± 11.3% for Resv+AA; and 83.1% ± 8.1% for UA+AA, n = 15). Furthermore, real-time RT-PCR experiments showed that pre-treatment with either Resv or UA suppresses expression of pro-inflammatory genes. In conclusion, our findings reveal that AA-induced nephrotoxicities can be attenuated by pre-treatment with either Resv or UA. Therefore, we believe that zebrafish represent an efficient model for screening AA-protective natural compounds.
