title: Creatine pretreatment prevents birth asphyxia-induced injury of the newborn spiny mouse kidney.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major complication for infants following an asphyxic insult at birth. We aimed to determine if kidney structure and function were affected in an animal model of birth asphyxia and if maternal dietary creatine supplementation could provide an energy reserve to the fetal kidney, maintaining cellular respiration during asphyxia and preventing AKI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant spiny mice were maintained on normal chow or chow supplemented with creatine from day 20 gestation. On day 38 (term ~39 d), pups were delivered by cesarean section (c-section) or subjected to intrauterine asphyxia. Twenty-four hours after insult, kidneys were collected for histological or molecular analysis. Urine and plasma were also collected for biochemical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AKI was evident at 24 h after birth asphyxia, with a higher incidence of shrunken glomeruli (P < 0.02), disturbance to tubular arrangement, tubular dilatation, a twofold increase (P < 0.02) in expression of Ngal (early marker of kidney injury), and decreased expression of the podocyte differentiation marker nephrin. Maternal creatine supplementation prevented the glomerular and tubular abnormalities observed in the kidney at 24 h and the increased expression of Ngal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal creatine supplementation may prove useful in ameliorating kidney injury associated with birth asphyxia.
authors.affiliation: The Ritchie Centre, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Australia.
authors.forename: Stacey J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ellery
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kett
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dickinson
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019610:Cytoprotection; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D054834:Lipocalins / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051189:Murinae; D011247:Pregnancy; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D054834:Lipocalins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C113267:nephrin; D003401:Creatine