Protective effect of quercetin on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
BACKGROUND
There is increasing evidence to suggest that toxic oxygen radicals play a role in the pathogenesis of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the kidney. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether quercetin, an oxygen free radical scavenger, protects kidney tissue.


METHODS
A renal I/R injury was induced by a left renal pedicle occlusion by ischemia for 45 min, followed by 60 mins of reperfusion with contralateral nephrectomy in rats. The rats were pretreated intraperitoneally with a quercetin suspension (50 mg/kg) 60 min before the ischemia induction. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyl content, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, myeloperoxidase (MPO) catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined in renal tissue.


RESULTS
There were 3 groups of rats, the control group, the I/R group and the I/R+Q group. Our results indicate that TBARS, TNF-alpha levels, MPO activity and protein carbonyl content were significantly higher in the I/R group than those in the control group (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.01 and p<0.01, respectively). Quercetin administration significantly decreased these parameters (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). GSH levels, SOD, and CAT activities significantly decreased after I/R injury when compared to the control group (p<0.01, p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). Quercetin treatment significantly increased GSH levels and activities of these enzymes when compared to the I/R group (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.05, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that quercetin reduces renal oxidative injury and facilitates repair. Quercetin can have a role in a renoprotective therapeutic regimen.
Kahraman
Ahmet
A
Department of Biochemistry, The School of Medicine, Kocatepe University, Afyon-03200, Turkey. ahmetkah@aku.edu.tr
Erkasap
Nilüfer
N
Serteser
Mustafa
M
Köken
Tülay
T
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis; D007511:Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D009392:Nephrectomy; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011336:Probability; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis
D020011:Protective Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011794:Quercetin; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase