Fig. 7From: Icariin protects rats against 5/6 nephrectomy-induced chronic kidney failure by increasing the number of renal stem cellsProposed model for the actions of icariin in alleviating CKD. Icariin activates the expression of genes promoting the proliferation, survival, and differentiation of renal stem cells (e. g. HGF, BMP-7, Pax-2, and WT-1) and inhibits genes promoting inflammation and fibrosis (e. g. TGF-β1), which leads to the increase of renal stem/progenitor cells and the repair of kidney injuriesBack to article page