Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of rhein on the hypertrophy of renal proxmial tubular epithelial cells induced by high glucose in rats.Methods Studies were performed on anesthetized SD rats.Renal proximal tubular epithelial cells were gained by microd issection and were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium.The cell type swere idenfied with mimunocytochemistry.The cells were incubated with high glucose(30 mM)to induce cell hypertrophy.To observe the effcet of rhe in on the hypertrophy induced by high guucose,the cells were cultured with different concentrations of rhein(30,15 and 5 mg/L)for 72 hr.Then the cell size,³H-lecuine incorporation,and cellular protein content were detected to observe the changes.Results High glucose(30 mM)resulted in enlargment of renal proxmial tubula repithelial cell,sincreases of 3H-leucine incorpiration and cell ularprote in content significantly.On the contrary,rhein inhibited the hypertrophy of renal proximal tubular epithelial cells induced by high glucose.Rhein(30 mg/L)decreased cellsize,3H-leucine incorporation and cellular protein content significantly.Rhein(15 mg/L)decreased 3H-leucine incorporation and cellular prote in content.Rhein(5 mg/L)decreased cellular prote incontent.Conclusion Rhein can inhibit the hypertrophy of renal proxmial tubular epithelial cells induced by high glucose in rats.