Background:
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a chronic progressive disorder which is a leading cause of
chronic kidney disease (CKD). As an important pathogenesis of DKD, the overproduction of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the inflammatory response have been considered central mediators in the progression of DKD. Herbal products are increasingly being applied as
antioxidants and
anti-inflammatory agents. Of those, the effect of
hydroxyl safflower yellow A (HSYA) on oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions has gradually been investigated for DKD treatment, which may provide
therapies for DKD with new insights and promote its application in clinical practice. Methods: We searched CNKI, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the Wanfang Database, PubMed, and Embase from the establishment date of the database to 22 April 2022. The included literature in our study was randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using HSYA to treat DKD. We performed a meta-analysis by calculating the standard mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The inverse-variance method with a random effect was used in our meta-analysis using Stata software and RevMan software. Results: A total of 31 articles with 31 groups containing a total of 2487 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed a statistical improvement in the following measurements: fasting
blood glucose (FBG), postprandial
blood glucose (PBG), blood
urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary
albumin excretion rates (UAER), serum
creatinine (SCR), hypersensitive
C-reactive protein (
hsCRP),
interleukin-6 (IL-6),
tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), fasting
insulin (FINS), total
cholesterol (TC),
triglycerides (TGs),
hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C), homeostasis model assessment
insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and
malondialdehyde (MDA). Conclusion: HSYA can effectively treat DKD by inhibiting inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress, decreasing
blood glucose and blood
lipids, and improving renal function indices. However, more RCTs are still needed in the future to further demonstrate the effect of HSYA on
biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions in patients with DKD due to the low quality and small sample size of the literature included in this study. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO: CRD 42021235689.