ABSTRACT
It was reported that ischemia-reperfusion injury [IRI] is a major cause of acute renal damage in both the native and transplanted kidneys. Sixteen clinically healthy male dogs were exposed to 45 minutes renal ischemia followed by reperfusion and unilateral nephrectomy. Those dogs were subdivided equally into 4 groups. Gp.[1] was the positive control, gp.[2] was treated with vitamin E [20mg / kg Bwt/ day], gp.[3] was treated with ascorbic acid [30mg / mg / kg Bwt/ day] and gp. [4] was treated with both drugs. The experimental dogs were sacrificed, 7day after surgery. Specimens were taken from the left kidney in all groups. The serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and potassium levels were significantly increased while the serum sodium and creatinine clearance were reduced in all groups, compared with the basal value. The urine of the positive control group contained protein and blood, besides hyaline and cellular casts. Gps. [2 and 3] showed a weak improvement in the renal function while gp. [4] relieved some of the damage induced by the renal ischemia- reperfusion. Microscopically gp. [1] showed diffuse coagulative necrosis of the renal epitheliurn. Also casts were present inside the lumina of the renal tubules.Gp. [2] showed moderate necrotic or degenerative changes of some tubular epithelium accompanied with contraction of some glomerular tufts and leukocytic infiltration. Gp. [3] showed periglomerular leukocytic aggregations mainly lymphocytes with lobulation of some glomerular tufts and various degenerative or coagulative necrosis. Gp. [4] showed that the majority of renal tubules suffered from hydropic degeneration, cloudy swelling and some of them revealed necrotic changes with absence of nuclei. It could be concluded that the combined vitamin E and ascorbic acid treatment partially ameliorated the renal IRI