Abstract: Objective: To observe the effect of herba artemisiae capillaris extracts (HACE) on the expression profile of microRNA (miRNAs) in the kidney tissue of the diabetic rats,and to explore the protective effect of HACE on the kidney tissue of diabetic rats from the miRNA angle. Methods: A total of 60 male Wistar rats were divided into control group (n=12),model group (n=24) and HACE group (n=24).The urinary albumin excretion rate and urinary protein excretion rate of the rats in various groups were detected. HE staining was used to detect the morphology of the kidney tissue of the rats in various groups after treated for 8 and 16 weeks; miRNAs chips were used to screen the expressions of miRNAs in the kidney tissue of the rats.The positive miRNAs were screened out from those with differentially expression amounts higher than 1.74 times as well as high abundance,and RT-qPCR was used to verify the relative expression amounts of miRNAs. Results: Compared with model group,the glomeruli matrix accumulation of the rats in HACE group(after treated for 8 and 16 weeks) was significantly improved and the urinary albumin excretion rates were decreased(P<0.05).The miRNAs chips results showed that there were 35 differentially expressed miRNAs in control and model groups and there were 17 differentially expressed miRNAs in model and HACE groups. The RT-qPCR results showed that after treated for 8 weeks, compared with control group,the relative expression amounts of miR-1306-3p(P<0.05),miR-672-5p(P<0.05) and miR-3550(P<0.01) in the kidney tissue of the rats in model group were decreased;compared with model group,the relative expression amount of miR-672-5p in the kidney tissue of the rats in HACE group was increased (P<0.05).After treated for 16 weeks,compared with control group,the relative expression amount of miR-21-5p in the kidney tissue of the rats in model group was increased(P<0.01),the relative expression amounts of miR-1306-3p(P<0.05),miR-672-5p(P<0.01) and miR-466d(P<0.05) were decreased;compared with model group,the relative expression amounts of miR-21-5p(P<0.05) and miR-1306-3p(P<0.05) in the kidney tissue of the rats in HACE group were decreased,and the relative expression amount of miR-672-5p was increased(P<0.05). Conclusion: The miRNAs expression profile in kidney tissue of diabetic rats were changed after HACE treatment.HACE has the protectively effect on the kidney tissue of diabetic rats and the mechanism may be associated with miRNAs.

Key words: microRNAs, diabetic nephropathy, herba artemisiae capillaris extracts, expression profile