Objective: To investigate the effects of Panax notoginseng on renal and urinary intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. Method: Tubulointerstitial fibrosis model was established by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rat. Fifty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into sham group (n=12)

UUO model group (n=20)

P.notoginseng 0.84 g ·kg-1 ·d-1group (n=20). Half rats in each group were sacrificed respectively on day 7 and day 14. Urine ICAM-1 level was tested by ELISA

renal ICAM-1 expression and localization were detected by immunohistochemistry. Result: Compared with the sham group

tubulointerstitial injury score was significantly higher (P<0.05)

and ICAM-1 expression in renal tissue and urine was significantly upregulated in model rats on day 7 and day 14. ICAM-1 expression in renal tubulointerstitium was positively correlated with urinary ICAM-1

and was also positively correlated with renal tubulointerstitial injury score (kidney damage index). P.notoginseng 0.84 g ·kg-1 ·d-1decreased tubulointerstitial injury score

and suppressed the levels of renal tissue and urinary ICAM-1 expression on day 7 and day 14 significantly

compared with those in the UUO model group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The ICAM-1 expression in renal tubulointerstitium was positively correlated with renal tubulointerstitial injury score and urinary ICAM-1 respectively. It suggested that the urinary levels of ICAM-1 could reflect the changes of ICAM-1 in kidney. P.notoginseng improved the histological changes in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and had certain renoprotective effect in UUO rats. The mechanism might be related to reducing renal ICAM-1 expression and urinary ICAM-1 levels.