N-Acetylcystein and High Dose Atorvastatin To Reduce Oxidative Stress in a Ischemia/Reperfusion Model in Kidney Rat
Department of Surgical Science, Renal Transplantation Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
Centre for Experimental Animal Care, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
Meeting: 2013 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: B864
Ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) is characterized by an increase in reactive oxygen species production, pro-inflammatory cytokine release and activation of endothelial cells leading to cell damage and death. N-Acetylcystein (NAC) and high dose Atorvastatin (ATOR) have demonstrated their protective effect against oxidative stress via different pathways. Aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects on oxidative stress of NAC and ATOR in a I/R injury model in the rat kidney.
Methods. Forty female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to 4 groups: NAC=intraperitoneal administration of 140 mg/kg NAC; ATOR=oral administration of 80 mg/kg ATOR; NACATOR=both treatments; Controls: sham operation. Drugs were administered 24 h before surgery; ischemia was induced by selective occlusion of the left renal artery for 30 minutes. After 24 hours the animals renal tissue samples were obtained. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Myeloperoxidases (MPO).
Results. NAC treated rats displayed higher GPx activity vs controls (p=0.012). The ATOR group showed lower MPO levels (p<0.001) and higher GPx activity (p<0.05) vs controls. No differences were observed in SOD activity in ATOR vs controls. There was a positive trend in increasing CAT activity in all treated groups compared to controls (p=ns). When compared with NAC, the ATOR group showed a significantly lower MPO activity (p<0.05) and higher GPx (p<0.05) and SOD (p<0.05) activity, while NACATOR treated rats displayed significantly lower levels of MPO (p<0.001) and slightly higher levels of GTPx and SDO (p=ns). No further significant difference were observed between NACATOR and ATOR group.
Conclusions. Our findings confirm that treatment with NAC and/or ATOR provides protection against oxidative stress in a model of I/R injury in the rat kidney, and suggest for the first time an adjunctive beneficial effects of NAC and ATOR in terms of oxidative stress reduction. Pleiotropic protection obtained by high dose ATORV may be due to the suppression of MPO expression, induction of GPX and upregulation of CAT expression.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Cusumano G, Romagnoli J, Ciavarella LPetracca, Caristo M, Severino A, Copponi G, Manchi M, Liuzzo G, Crea F, Citterio F. N-Acetylcystein and High Dose Atorvastatin To Reduce Oxidative Stress in a Ischemia/Reperfusion Model in Kidney Rat [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2013; 13 (suppl 5). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/n-acetylcystein-and-high-dose-atorvastatin-to-reduce-oxidative-stress-in-a-ischemiareperfusion-model-in-kidney-rat/. Accessed May 13, 2025.« Back to 2013 American Transplant Congress