ABSTRACT
Sepsis is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of betulinic acid, a triterpenoid in sepsis-induced AKI using cecal ligation puncture (CLP) mouse model. Mice subjected to CLP developed histologic AKI at 18h after CLP. There was an increase in renal proinflammatory response (nuclear factor-kappa B expression, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10), matrix metalloproteinase-9, plasma creatinine, renal neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and oxidant stress response (malondialdehyde, inducible nitric oxide synthase, total nitrite and superoxide); decrease in anti-oxidant levels (superoxide dismutase and catalase) at 18h of CLP. However, BA pretreatment at the doses of 10 and 30mg/kg prevented the CLP-induced kidney damage by restoring the aforementioned inflammatory mediators, oxidant and anti-oxidant imbalance. These evidences suggest that, the protective effects of BA on kidney are associated with defending action against inflammatory and oxidative stress response in CLP mice and BA could be potential therapeutic agent in sepsis-induced AKI.
Subject(s)
Acute Kidney Injury/drug therapy , Coinfection/drug therapy , Disease Models, Animal , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Sepsis/drug therapy , Triterpenes/therapeutic use , Acute Kidney Injury/metabolism , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Coinfection/metabolism , Inflammation/drug therapy , Inflammation/metabolism , Male , Mice , Oxidative Stress/physiology , Pentacyclic Triterpenes , Sepsis/metabolism , Triterpenes/pharmacology , Betulinic AcidABSTRACT
Sepsis commonly progresses to acute lung injury (ALI), an inflammatory lung disease with high morbidity and mortality. Septic ALI is characterized by excessive production of proinflammatory mediators. It remained refractory to present therapies and new therapies need to be developed to improve further clinical outcomes. Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic lupane group triterpenoid has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activities in many studies. However, its therapeutic efficacy in polymicrobial septic ALI is yet unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effects of BA on septic ALI using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model in mice. Vehicle or BA (3, 10, and 30mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally, 3 times (0, 24 and 48h) before CLP and CLP was done on 49(th)h of the study. Survival rate was observed till 120h post CLP. Lung tissues were collected for analysis by sacrificing mice 18h post CLP. BA at 10 and 30mg/kg dose significantly reduced sepsis-induced mortality and lung injury as implied by attenuated lung histopathological changes, decreased protein and neutrophils infiltration. BA also decreased lung NF-κB expression, cytokine, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels. These evidences suggest that, the protective effects of BA on lungs are associated with defending action against inflammatory response and BA could be a potential modulatory agent of inflammation in sepsis-induced ALI.
