title: Glucocorticoid receptor agonist dexamethasone attenuates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury by up-regulating eNOS/iNOS.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into Sham group, IRI group and DEX group. The mice in IRI and DEX groups subjected to renal ischemia for 60 min, were treated with saline or DEX (4 mg/kg, i.p.) 60 min prior to I/R. After 24 h of reperfusion, the renal function, renal pathological changes, activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and the levels of iNOS and eNOS were detected. The results showed DEX significantly decreased the damage to renal function and pathological changes after renal IRI. Pre-treatment with DEX reduced ERK activation and down-regulated the level of iNOS, whereas up-regulated the level of eNOS after renal IRI. DEX could further promote the activation of GR. These findings indicated GR activation confers preconditioning-like protection against acute IRI partially by up-regulating the ratio of eNOS/iNOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.|Department of Nephrology, Subsidiary of the Sichuan Academy of Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, 610072, China.
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qin
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Yue-Qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. xugang@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. yaoyingkk@126.com.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000819:agonists*; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D003907:Dexamethasone; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse