Intermedin ameliorates renal injury by inhibition of tubular epithelial cell apoptosis in a renal ischemia/reperfusion rat model / 中华肾脏病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of intermedin (IMD) on tubular cells apoptosis induced by renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and its associated mechanism.Methods A total of twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (control group, I/R group, empty plasmid group and IMD group). One week after the removal of right kidney, ultrasound plasmid was used to transfect empty or IMD plasmid into the left kidney. Renal I/R model was made by clasping the left renal artery for 45 minutes. Tubular cell apoptosis was determined by TUNEL. Expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Fas was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.Activity of caspase-8 and caspase-9 was evaluated with commercially available kits respectively.Protein level of caspase-3 was measured by Western blotting analysis. Results Compared with control group, apoptosis of tubular epithelial cells, expression of Bax and Fas, activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9, as well as protein level of caspase-3 were all significantly increased in I/R group (all P＜0.05). IMD pre-treatment significantly inhibited all these effects (all P＜0.05). There were no differences of above parameters between empty plasmid group and I/R group. Conclusion IMD pre-treatment protects against renal I/R injury by inhibion of tubular epithelial cell apoptosis.