Research Article

In vivo mechanism study of NGAL in rat renal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Published: October 27, 2014
Genet. Mol. Res. 13 (4) : 8740-8748 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.October.27.15
Cite this Article:
X.J. Zang, S.X. An, Z. Feng, Y.P. Xia, Y. Song, Q. Yu (2014). In vivo mechanism study of NGAL in rat renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Genet. Mol. Res. 13(4): 8740-8748. https://doi.org/10.4238/2014.October.27.15
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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the protective effect and mechanism of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in rat kidney on ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R). The rat I/R model was set up by cutting one kidney and clamping the contralateral renal pedicle for 45 min. Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation, I/R and NGAL groups. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe the renal pathological changes in the 3 groups; serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) determined in blood samples taken from the inferior vena cava 24 h after the reperfusion were measured; TUNEL was used to observe the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells; immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expressions of Bax and activated caspase-3; Western blotting was used to determine the expression changes in apoptotic proteins Fas and Bcl-2. Compared with the I/R group, Scr and BUN of the NGAL group were 63.400 ± 11.908 vs 121.857 ± 17.151 μM and 14.840 ± 2.868 vs 28.557 ± 6.434 mM, respectively. The number of apoptotic tubular epithelial cells was reduced (7.800 ± 1.924 vs 15.400 ± 3.049); the expression of renal tissue Fas mRNA of the NGAL group was decreased (2.34 ± 0.51 vs 6.84 ± 2.34); the expression of the Bax protein was lower (7.440 ± 1.640 vs 15.456 ± 1.955%); the expression of the CC3 protein was decreased (3.171 ± 0.321 vs 7.291 ± 1.059%), while the expression of the Bcl-2 protein increased (6.91 ± 1.64 vs 5.30 ± 1.48), P < 0.05. NGAL had a protective effect towards the renal tubular epithelial cells in I/R, and the effect might have been associated with the reduction in apoptosis and the altered expression of apoptotic proteins, which would thereby reduce tissue damage and protect the kidney.

This study aimed to determine the protective effect and mechanism of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in rat kidney on ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R). The rat I/R model was set up by cutting one kidney and clamping the contralateral renal pedicle for 45 min. Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation, I/R and NGAL groups. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe the renal pathological changes in the 3 groups; serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) determined in blood samples taken from the inferior vena cava 24 h after the reperfusion were measured; TUNEL was used to observe the apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells; immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expressions of Bax and activated caspase-3; Western blotting was used to determine the expression changes in apoptotic proteins Fas and Bcl-2. Compared with the I/R group, Scr and BUN of the NGAL group were 63.400 ± 11.908 vs 121.857 ± 17.151 μM and 14.840 ± 2.868 vs 28.557 ± 6.434 mM, respectively. The number of apoptotic tubular epithelial cells was reduced (7.800 ± 1.924 vs 15.400 ± 3.049); the expression of renal tissue Fas mRNA of the NGAL group was decreased (2.34 ± 0.51 vs 6.84 ± 2.34); the expression of the Bax protein was lower (7.440 ± 1.640 vs 15.456 ± 1.955%); the expression of the CC3 protein was decreased (3.171 ± 0.321 vs 7.291 ± 1.059%), while the expression of the Bcl-2 protein increased (6.91 ± 1.64 vs 5.30 ± 1.48), P