title: Glycyrrhizin protects mice against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury through inhibition of apoptosis and inflammation by downregulating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling.
abstract: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) often leads to acute kidney injury, chronic renal failure and kidney transplantation failure. Glycyrrhizin is extracted fromGlycyrrhiza glabraroots and is the predominant active component, which exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of glycyrrhizin on I/R-induced renal injury has not been investigated. In the present study, glycyrrhizin was demonstrated to attenuate renal I/R injury in mice via administration of glycyrrhizin, which suppressed the serum levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen 6 h following reperfusion; furthermore, the superoxide anions as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase within renal tissues was reduced by glycyrrhizin pretreatment. Moreover, the protein level of cleaved caspase-3, as well as its activity in renal tissue, was suppressed as a result of the glycyrrhizin pretreatment, indicating that glycyrrhizin inhibits I/R-induced renal cell apoptosis. In addition, glycyrrhizin pretreatment appeared to ameliorate I/R-induced renal injury via inhibition of inflammatory cell infiltration, as well as the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. The underlying molecular mechanism was investigated and it was shown that the activity of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling was downregulated as a result of glycyrrhizin administration. In conclusion, the present study indicated that glycyrrhizin provided significant protection against I/R-induced renal injury in mice by inhibiting inflammatory responses and renal cell apoptosis. Therefore, glycyrrhizin may be used in abdominal surgery and kidney transplantation for the prevention of renal I/R damage.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of the Chinese Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine Engineering and Technology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shaojun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Research Center of the Chinese Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine Engineering and Technology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Research Center of the Chinese Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine Engineering and Technology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yingzi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.affiliation: Research Center of the Chinese Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine Engineering and Technology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xingguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: She
authors.affiliation: Research Center of the Chinese Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine Engineering and Technology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Research Center of the Chinese Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine Engineering and Technology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qifa
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ye
keywords: apoptosis; glycyrrhizin; inflammation; ischemia-reperfusion; kidney