The effects of Shenkang suppository on kidney function and gut microbiota in nondialysis patients with chronic kidney disease stages 3–4: A randomized controlled trial
Abstract
Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have high prevalence and mortality rates; however, current treatment options remain limited. The Shenkang suppository (SKS) is a traditional Chinese medicine used in the clinical management of CKD. Increasing evidence suggests a close relationship between the gut microbiome and CKD. We aimed to investigate the impact of SKS on kidney function and the gut microbiota in CKD stage 3–4 patients. Methods It’s a single-center randomized controlled trial (n = 80). CKD stage 3–4 patients were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to either the control group (n = 40) or the SKS group (n = 40) and followed for 8 weeks. Baseline data, clinical indicators, kidney markers, and stool samples were obtained from participants before and after treatment. The bacterial DNA was isolated from fecal samples and analyzed via high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Results A total of 34 patients in the SKS group and 36 in the control group completed the study. Kidney function in the control group significantly worsened after 8 weeks (P < 0.05), whereas SKS had a positive effect on slowing the progression of kidney function decline. After 8 weeks of SKS intervention, the beneficial bacteria Coriobacteriaceae and Ruminococcaceae-Ruminococcus proliferated dramatically, whereas the abundance of the harmful bacteria Veillonellaceae decreased. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) revealed that SKS treatment increased the proportion of Streptococcus and decreased the…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 80 participants or records.
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