title: Effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on renal haemodynamics and function in early ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats.
abstract: 1. Renal ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) severely compromises kidney function and has been shown to cause persistent abnormalities in intrarenal blood flow. The aim of the present study was to examine whether N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a thiol-containing anti-oxidant, improves renal haemodynamics and function during early reperfusion in rats subjected to renal IR. 2. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into groups receiving either isotonic saline (IR-Saline; n = 8) or NAC (IR-NAC; n = 8) prior to (200 mg/kg, i.p., 24 and 12 h before acute experimentation) and during acute renal clearance experiments (bolus 150 mg/kg followed by a continuous infusion of 43 mg/kg per h, i.v.). During acute experimentation, thiobutabarbital-anaesthetized rats were subjected to a right-sided nephrectomy, followed by left kidney IR (40 min renal artery occlusion). Left kidney function and blood flow and intrarenal cortical and outer medullary perfusion measured by laser-Doppler flowmetry was analysed at baseline, during ischaemia and for 80 min of reperfusion. 3. Renal IR produced an approximate 85% reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and a pronounced increase in fractional urinary sodium excretion, throughout reperfusion, with no statistically significant differences between groups. 4. During reperfusion, total renal blood flow and cortical and outer medullary perfusion rapidly returned to levels not significantly different from baseline in both groups. The relative increase in renal vascular resistance in response to IR was more pronounced in NAC-treated rats compared with saline-treated animals (P < 0.05). 5. In conclusion, treatment with NAC did not improve kidney function during the first 80 min after renal IR. In addition, the marked reduction in GFR following reperfusion was not associated with any detectable abnormalities in intrarenal perfusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Institute of Surgical Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, S-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden. nicoletta.nitescu@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nitescu
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grimberg
authors.forename: Sven-Erik
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ricksten
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guron
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012079:Renal Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000111:Acetylcysteine