Astragaloside IV Targets Macrophages to Alleviate Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via the Crosstalk between Hif-1α and NF-κB (p65)/Smad7 Pathways

(1) Background: Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is derived from Astragalus membranous (AM), which is used to treat kidney disease. Macrophages significantly affect the whole process of renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). The regulation of macrophage polarization in kidneys by AS-IV was the focus. (2) Methods: Renal tubular injury and fibrosis in mice were detected by Hematoxylin and Eosin staining and Masson Trichrome Staining, separately. An ELISA and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to explore the cytokine and mRNA expression. Western blot was used to determine protein expression and siRNA technology was used to reveal the crosstalk of signal pathways in RAW 264.7 under hypoxia. (3) Results: In the early stages of I/R injury, AS-IV reduced renal damage and macrophage infiltration. M1-associated markers were decreased, while M2 biomarkers were increased. The NF-κB (p65)/Hif-1α pathway was suppressed by AS-IV in M1. Moreover, p65 dominated the expression of Hif-1α. In the late stages of I/R injury, renal fibrosis was alleviated, and M2 infiltration also decreased after AS-IV treatment. Hif-1α expression was reduced by AS-IV, while Smad7 expression was enhanced. Hif-1α interferes with the expression of Smad7 in M2. (4) Conclusions: AS-IV promoted the differentiation of M1 to M2, relieving the proinflammatory response to alleviate the kidney injury during the early stages. AS-IV attenuated M2 macrophage infiltration to prevent kidney fibrosis during the later stages.

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