Objective: To study the effect of total flavonoids of Oxytropis falcate Bunge on the expression of connective tissue growth factor(CTGF)

plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) and matrix metallopeptidase 9(MMP-9) mRNA of human renal tubular epithelial cells HK-2 induced by transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)

and to explore the mechanism of total flavonoids of O. falcate on the prevention and treatment of renal fibrosis. Method: The HK-2 cells were cultured by DMEM/F12(1: 1) with 10% fetal bovine serum and divided into control group

TGF-β1 10 μg·L-1 group

animal blank serum control group(TGF-β1 10 μg·L-1+10% animal serum)

total flavonoids of O. falcate-containing serum therapy groups (TGF-β1 10 μg·L-1+10% total flavonoids of O. falcate). After 24 h

the expression of CTGF

PAI-1

and MMP-9 mRNA were tested by fluorescence quantitatiye PCR assay. Result: After the HK-2 cell was induced by TGF-β1

the expression of CTGF and PAI-1 mRNA was increased and the expression of MMP-9 mRNA was decreased compared with the control(P<0.05). But the expression of CTGF and PAI-1 mRNA was decreased and the expression of MMP-9 mRNA was increased in HK-2 cultured with TGF-β1 plus total flavonoids of O. falcate compared with only TGF-β1 group(P<0.05)

but only rat serum had no such effect. Conclusion: Total flavonoids of O. falcate could prevent the development of renal fibrosis to a certain extent via regulating the expression of fibrosis cell factor.