Low-Energy Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Ameliorates Kidney Function in Diabetic Nephropathy

Figure 1

Low-energy ESWT improved renal function in DN. (a) Low-energy ESWT treatment protocol for DN rats. Arrows indicate that DN rats received ESWT (200 shocks, energy density of 0.13 mJ/mm²) for 6 weeks and then were killed at 12 weeks for study. (b) Blood hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Data are represented as (); versus the normal group. (c) Urine albumin (ALB). Data are represented as (); , . (d) Representative images of kidney tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E); . (e) Glomerular volume determined from H&E sections. (f, g, k) The renal fibrosis was determined by immunohistochemistry detection for type I collagen (Collage 1) and TGF-β1 in glomerular and quantification of immunohistochemistry staining by image analysis; . (h, i, l, j) Western blot analysis Collage 1, fibronectin, and TGF-β1 expression in renal tissue and quantification of western blot by densitometric analysis. Normal group (Nor). (d–l) , , and ().

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

(i)

(j)

(k)

(l)