Effect of esketamine on acute kidney injury in rats with sepsis and the role of autophagy / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the effect of esketamine on acute kidney injury (AKI) in the rats with sepsis and the role of autophagy.Methods:Forty SPF healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-240 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=8 each) by a random number table method: control group (Con group), esketamine group (Con+ Ket group), sepsis group (lipopolysaccharide [LPS] group), sepsis plus esketamine group (LPS+ Ket group), and sepsis plus esketamine plus 3-methyladenine (3MA) group (LPS+ Ket+ 3MA group). The model of AKI was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS in anesthetized rats.Normal saline 10 ml/kg was intraperitoneally injected in Con group.In Con+ Ket group, normal saline 10 ml/kg was intraperitoneally injected, and 30 min later esketamine 10 mg/kg was injected via the tail vein.LPS 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected in LPS group.In LPS+ Ket group, LPS 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected, and 30 min later esketamine 10 mg/kg was injected via the tail vein.In LPS+ Ket+ 3MA group, LPS 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected, and 30 min later esketamine 10 mg/kg and 3-MA 15 mg/kg were injected via the tail vein.The rats were anesthetized at 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of LPS and then sacrificed, and renal tissues were removed for microscopic examination of the pathological changes which were scored and for determination of contents of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), caspase-1, interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and IL-18 (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and expression of LC3, P62 and Beclin-1 (by Western blot). Results:Compared with Con group, the score for pathological damage to renal tissues and contents of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly increased, LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio was decreased, the expression of Beclin-1 was down-regulated, and the expression of P62 was up-regulated in LPS group ( P<0.05). Compared with LPS group, the score for pathological damage to renal tissues and contents of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly decreased, LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio was increased, the expression of Beclin-1 was up-regulated, and the expression of P62 was down-regulated in LPS+ Ket group ( P<0.05). Compared with LPS+ Ket group, the score for pathological damage to renal tissues and contents of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly increased, LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio was decreased, the expression of Beclin-1 was down-regulated, and the expression of P62 was up-regulated in LPS+ Ket+ 3MA group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Esketamine can reduce AKI and autophagy is involved in the process, which is related to inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and decreasing inflammatory responses in rats with sepsis.