Vaccinia Virus Complement Control Protein (VCP) Improves Kidney Structure & Function Following Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Abstract

The Study Objective was to investigate the effect of vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP) on ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury in the kidney. Methods Long Evans rats weighting 345–418g were subjected to laparotomy, clamping of the right renal artery for 60 minutes followed by 24 hours reperfusion. The rats were randomly allocated to receive VCP or phosphate buffered-saline (PBS) or sham groups (n = 6 each). Blood was collected at various intervals for urea and creatinine studies, and the kidneys harvested for histopathological and immunohistochemical studies. Results The creatinine study indicated a 1.2-fold increase in the PBS group. The histopathological study revealed focal necrosis of the tubular epithelial cells in the VCP treated rats compared to the markedly elevated field scores in the PBS controls. The immunohistochemical study showed significant C3 deposition in the renal tubules of the PBS controls. Conclusion The results suggest that VCP plays a role in reducing ischemia/reperfusion induced renal injury possibly by inhibiting the biosynthesis of C3. Source of Research Support: GJK is currently a Senior International Wellcome Trust Fellow in Biomedical Sciences in South Africa. YTG is a recipient of the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation & the University of Cape Town Scholarships.