Protective effect of an inhibitor of interleukin-8 (meraxin) from ischemia and reperfusion injury in a rat model of kidney transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Since the ischemia and reperfusion injury is one of the main causes of delayed graft function after transplantation, research efforts have focused on studying the molecules involved in this inflammatory process. The chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) seems to be the main one responsible through a chemoattractive action toward neutropils. Therefore, one of the strategies adopted to prevent this process is blocking the binding between IL-8 and its receptors. The aim of our study was to test the effect of meraxin, a new derivative from repertaxin, to protect the renal graft from ischemia and reperfusion injury.


METHODS
Eighty male syngenic rats were divided into four groups. The control group underwent only kidney transplantation, while the other groups were treated with meraxin at various dosages 2 hours before graft reperfusion. Blood and histological samples were taken at sacrifice 24 hours after transplantation.


RESULTS
Creatinine was significantly lower in the group treated with the high dosage of meraxin. Histological observation of the grafted tissue showed instead only a mild and not significant neutrophilic infiltration, equal in each group.


CONCLUSIONS
Graft function was improved by the administration of meraxin at high dosage, but this effect did not seem to be connected to a reduction in inflammatory infiltration in the parechymal tissue. Maybe the cause is in the mechanisms of clotting activation, due to alteration of adhesion molecules and endothelial cells.
Neri
F
F
Department of Surgery and Transplantations, S Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Puviani
L
L
Tsivian
M
M
Prezzi
D
D
Pacilé
V
V
Cavallari
G
G
Bertelli
R
R
Bianchi
E
E
Piras
G L
GL
Pariali
M
M
Cavalieri
B
B
Bertini
R
R
Faenza
A
A
Nardo
B
B
D000818:Animals; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012079:Renal Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
D016209:Interleukin-8