title: Anti-inflammatory and protective effects of saffron extract in ischaemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inflammation is one of the major challenges in the management of ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury. Our aim was to assess the anti-inflammatory and protective effects of saffron extract against I/R-induced renal disturbances.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 35 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 7) as sham, I/R and three groups of I/R that were pretreated with different doses of saffron extract (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or 20 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. The I/R-induced renal inflammation was assessed by measuring leukocyte infiltration and mRNA expression levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and tumour necrotic factor-alpha. For the assessment of oxidative stress, thiobarbituric acid reactive species and antioxidant capacity of kidneys were measured in the right kidneys. In addition, plasma creatinine and urea-nitrogen concentrations were determined for renal functional disturbances. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance using the Duncan post hoc test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The I/R increased all of the measured parameters, except for the tissue level of ferric reducing/antioxidant power, which decreased. Pretreatment with saffron extract in all doses significantly reduced the severity of these disturbances in such a way that there were no significant differences between the FRAP level and urea-nitrogen concentrations between the sham and all three saffron extract-treated groups. However, the saffron extract could decrease the plasma creatinine concentration, malondialdehyde level, tumour necrotic factor-alpha and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression and leukocyte infiltration in a dose-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and protective effects for the hydro-ethanolic extract of saffron in I/R-induced acute kidney injury.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mahmoudzadeh
authors.affiliation: Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Houshang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeed Changizi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ashtiyani
authors.affiliation: Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Zeynab Mohamadi
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Yarijani
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D027622:Crocus / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; C000609942:ICAM1 protein, rat; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D003404:Creatinine
keywords: ICAM-1; TNF-α; inflammation; ischaemia/reperfusion; saffron