Cortical Malondialdehyde Content Research Articles

Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Provides Neuroprotection in Traumatic Brain Injury Models via Activating Nrf2-ARE Signaling.

In this study, we explored the neuroprotective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) models. In this study, we first confirmed that DHA was neuroprotective against TBI via the NSS test and Morris water maze experiment. Western blot was conducted to identify the expression of Bax, caspase-3, and Bcl-2. And the cell apoptosis of the TBI models was validated by TUNEL staining. Relationships between nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) pathway-related genes and DHA were explored by RT-PCR and Western blot. Rats of the DHA group performed remarkably better than those of the TBI group in both NSS test and water maze experiment. DHA conspicuously promoted the expression of Bcl-2 and diminished that of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, indicating the anti-apoptotic role of DHA. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and cortical malondialdehyde content, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were renovated in rats receiving DHA treatment, implying that the neuroprotective influence of DHA was derived from lightening the oxidative stress caused by TBI. Moreover, immunofluorescence and Western blot experiments revealed that DHA facilitated the translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus. DHA administration also notably increased the expression of the downstream factors NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO-1) and heme oxygenase 1(HO-1). DHA exerted neuroprotective influence on the TBI models, potentially through activating the Nrf2- ARE pathway.

Sinomenine Provides Neuroprotection in Model of Traumatic Brain Injury via the Nrf2-ARE Pathway.

The neuroprotective effect of sinomenine (SIN) has been demonstrated in several brain injury models. However, its role and molecular mechanism in traumatic brain injury (TBI) remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of SIN in the weight-drop model of TBI in male ICR mice. Mice were randomly divided into the sham and TBI groups, SIN (10 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally) or equal volume of vehicle was given at 30 min after TBI. Treatment with 30 mg/kg SIN significantly improved motor performance and alleviated cerebral edema. However, treatment with 10 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg SIN did not exhibit a better outcome. Therefore, we chose 30 mg/kg SIN for our subsequent experiments. SIN significantly increased the expression of Bcl-2 and decreased that of cleaved caspase-3, indicating that SIN is anti-apoptotic. This was confirmed by the observation that SIN-treated animals had fewer apoptotic neurons. Cortical malondialdehyde content, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were restored in the group that received SIN. Furthermore, Western blot and immunofluorescence experiments showed that SIN enhanced the translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to the nucleus. SIN administration also significantly upregulated the expression of the downstream factors heme oxygenase 1 and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 at pre- and post-transcriptional levels. Together, these data demonstrate that SIN exerts a neuroprotective effect in a model of TBI, possibly by activating the Nrf2–antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway.

Acceleration of diabetic renal injury in the superoxide dismutase knockout mouse: effects of tempol

Indices of renal injury and oxidative stress were examined in mice with deficiency of cytosolic Cu 2+/Zn 2+ superoxide dismutase (SOD1−/−, KO) and their wild-type (WT) littermates with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. After 5 weeks of diabetes, KO diabetic (D) but not WT-D mice developed marked albuminuria, increases in glomerular content of transforming growth factor β, collagen α1(IV), and nitrotyrosine, and higher glomerular superoxide compared with corresponding values in nondiabetics. After 5 months of diabetes, increases in these parameters, mesangial matrix expansion, renal cortical malondialdehyde content, and severity of tubulointerstitial injury were all significantly greater, whereas cortical glutathione was lower, in KO-D than in WT-D. In contrast to WT-D, after 4 weeks of diabetes, KO-D mice did not develop the increase in inulin clearance ( C In) characteristic of early diabetes. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N ω-nitro- l-arginine methylester suppressed C In in WT-D, but had no effect on C In in KO-D. Treatment of KO-D with the SOD mimetic tempol for 4 weeks suppressed albuminuria, increases in glomerular transforming growth factor β, collagen α1(IV), nitrotyrosine, and glomerular superoxide, and concurrently increased C In. The latter action of tempol in KO-D was blocked by the N ω-nitro- l-arginine methylester. The findings provide support for a role for superoxide and its metabolism by SOD1 in the pathogenesis of renal injury in diabetes in vivo, and implicate increased interaction of superoxide with nitric oxide as a pathogenetic factor.

Alpha-lipoic acid attenuates hyperglycemia and prevents glomerular mesangial matrix expansion in diabetes.

Previous studies demonstrated that 2 mo of dietary supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid (LA) prevented early glomerular injury in non-insulin-treated streptozotocin diabetic rats (D). The present study examined the effects of chronic LA supplementation (30 mg/kg body wt per d) on nephropathy in D after 7 mo of diabetes. Compared with control rats, D developed increased urinary excretion of albumin and transforming growth factor beta, renal insufficiency, glomerular mesangial matrix expansion, and glomerulosclerosis in association with depletion of glutathione and accumulation of malondialdehyde in renal cortex. LA prevented or ameliorated all of these changes in D. Because chronic LA supplementation also attenuated hyperglycemia in D after 3 mo, its effects on renal injury were compared with treatment of rats with sufficient insulin to maintain a level of glycemic control for the entire 7-mo period (D-INS) equivalent to that observed with LA during the final 4 mo. Despite superior longitudinal glycemic control in D-INS, urinary excretion of albumin and transforming growth factor beta, glomerular mesangial matrix expansion, the extent of glomerulosclerosis, and renal cortical malondialdehyde content were all significantly greater, whereas cortical glutathione content was lower than corresponding values in D given LA. Thus, the renoprotective effects of LA in D were not attributable to improved glycemic control alone but also likely reflected its antioxidant activity. The combined antioxidant and hypoglycemic actions of LA both may contribute to its utility in preventing renal injury and other complications of diabetes.

Chronic diabetic nephropathy: role of inducible nitric oxide synthase.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a multifunctional mediator that has been implicated in the short-term hemodynamic alterations that occur in acute streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. We investigated the role of NO produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in chronic STZ diabetic nephropathy. Diabetes was induced in C57BL/6 and iNOS knockout (KO) mice with two intraperitoneal injections of STZ, 100 mg/kg. Animals were maintained without insulin treatment for 40 weeks. There were no significant differences between the strains in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine or glucose concentration, or urinary protein excretion during the entire observation period. Urinary nitrite + nitrate excretion was significantly lower in iNOS KO mice compared to control animals at all time points; in C57 mice, urinary nitrite declined progressively with more prolonged duration of diabetes. Renal hypertrophy (kidney weight/body weight) was noted in both strains of mice. However, histopathological assessment of renal tissue specimens at 16 and 40 weeks demonstrated increased mesangial hypercellularity and expansion as well as more prominent tubulointerstitial fibrosis in iNOS KO versus C57 mice. These changes were accompanied by increased interstitial deposition of type I collagen at 16 and 40 weeks in iNOS KO mice. Glomerular basement membrane staining for type IV collagen was also increased at 40 weeks in diabetic iNOS KO mice. While iNOS protein was undetectable in any of the kidney specimens obtained from either strain, eNOS was present throughout the course of chronic STZ diabetes. Moreover, eNOS expression was significantly increased by approximately 40% at 16 and 40 weeks of observation in iNOS KO versus C57 mice. There was no difference in renal cortical malondialdehyde content between the strains early or late in the disease course. In time control animals, there was no evidence of renal histopathological damage in iNOS KO or C57 mice after 40 weeks. We conclude that iNOS-derived NO modulates glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in chronic STZ nephropathy. This action is probably a result of the direct actions of NO on the synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix proteins.

Vitamin E ameliorates renal injury in an experimental model of immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

IgA nephropathy is one of the most common forms of glomerular disease. Nearly 25% of affected patients progress to end-stage renal disease over a 20-25-y follow-up period. IgA-containing immune complexes stimulate oxygen-free radical production by mesangial cells in vitro. The excessive oxidant stress may mediate glomerular injury in this disorder. Therefore, we studied whether dietary supplementation with the antioxidant agent, vitamin E, attenuates renal disease in an experimental model of incipient IgA nephropathy with mild kidney inflammation. IgA nephropathy was induced in male Lewis rats by oral immunization with 0.1% bovine gamma-globulin (BGG)-containing drinking water for 8 wk. At the completion of this period, animals received BGG, 1 mg/dose i.v., on three successive days. Experimental rats (n = 10) received a specially formulated diet containing 100 IU of vitamin E/kg of chow, whereas control animals (n = 10) were fed chow containing 30 IU of vitamin/kg of chow. The BGG immunization regimen induced mesangial IgA deposition in all rats. Vitamin E supplementation resulted in a nearly 5-fold increase in the serum vitamin E concentration. Vitamin E-treated rats gained more weight and had a lower incidence of hematuria, 20% versus 80% (p < 0.03). Moreover, proteinuria was decreased by 50%, and reduced renal plasma flow was restored to normal, compared with untreated rats with IgA nephropathy. Glomerular hypertrophy occurred in animals with IgA nephropathy, but less so in those receiving vitamin E supplementation. Renal cortical malondialdehyde content was reduced from 1.55 +/- 0.10 to 1.22 +/- 0.09 nmol/mg of protein (p < 0.01) in rats fed the vitamin E-enriched diet. Finally, renal transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene expression was reduced by 34% in rats with IgA nephropathy receiving vitamin E treatment (p < 0.05). We conclude that experimental IgA nephropathy is associated with increased renal oxidant injury. Dietary treatment with the antioxidant agent, vitamin E, attenuated renal functional and structural changes in this experimental glomerulopathy. These studies support the importance of clinical trials for the evaluation of the efficacy of antioxidant therapy in patients with IgA nephropathy.

The effect of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I on chronic puromycin aminonucleoside nephropathy in rats.

We recently demonstrated that recombinant hGH exacerbates renal functional and structural injury in chronic puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephropathy, an experimental model of glomerular disease. Therefore, we examined whether recombinant human (rh) IGF-I is a safer alternative for the treatment of growth failure in rats with chronic PAN nephropathy. The glomerulopathy was induced by seven serial injections of PAN over 12 wk. Experimental animals (n = 6) received rhIGF-I, 400 micrograms/d, whereas control rats (n = 6) received the vehicle. rhIGF-I improved weight gain by 14% (p < 0.05), without altering hematocrit or blood pressure in rats with renal disease. Urinary protein excretion was unaltered by rhIGF-I treatment in rats with chronic PAN nephropathy. After 12 wk, the inulin clearance was higher in rhIGF-I-treated rats, 0.48 +/- 0.08 versus 0.24 +/- 0.06 mL/min/100 g of body weight in untreated PAN nephropathy animals, p < 0.05. The improvement in GFR was not associated with enhanced glomerular hypertrophy or increased segmental glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial injury, or renal cortical malondialdehyde content. In rats with PAN nephropathy, administration of rhIGF-I increased IGF-I and GH receptor gene expression, without altering the steady state level of IGF-I receptor mRNA. In normal rats with intact kidneys, rhIGF-I administration (n = 4) did not alter weight gain, blood pressure, proteinuria, GFR, glomerular planar area, renal cortical malondialdehyde content, or glomerular or tubulointerstitial damage, compared with untreated animals (n = 4). rhIGF-I treatment reduced the steady state renal IGF-I mRNA level but did not modify gene expression of the IGF-I or GH receptors. We conclude that: 1) administration of rhIGF-I improves growth and GFR in rats with chronic PAN nephropathy and 2) unlike rhGH, long-term use of rhIGF-I does not worsen renal functional and structural injury in this disease model.

Taurine ameliorates chronic streptozocin-induced diabetic nephropathy in rats.

We examined the effect of two endogenous antioxidant agents, taurine and vitamin E, on renal function in experimental diabetes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, rendered diabetic with streptozocin (STZ), were assigned to one of the following groups: 1) untreated; 2) insulin treatment with 6 U Ultralente insulin/day in two doses; 3) taurine supplementation by 1% taurine in drinking water; and 4) vitamin E supplementation at 100 IU vitamin E/kg chow. Animals were kept for 52 wk. The survival rate was similar (70-90%) in all groups except vitamin E-treated animals, of which 84% died by 6 mo. At 52 wk, glomerular filtration rate was elevated in untreated and taurine-treated STZ rats compared with normal or insulin-treated diabetic rats. Taurine supplementation reduced total proteinuria and albuminuria by nearly 50%. This treatment also prevented glomerular hypertrophy, preserved immunohistochemical staining for type IV collagen in glomeruli, and diminished glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in diabetic animals. The changes in renal function and structure in taurine-treated diabetic rats were associated with normalization of renal cortical malondialdehyde content, lowering of serum free Fe2+ concentration, and decreased formation of the advanced glycooxidation products, pentosidine, and fluorescence in skin collagen. Administration of the vitamin E-enriched diet exacerbated the nephropathy in STZ-diabetic rats. In addition, vitamin E supplementation increased serum free Fe2+ concentration, enhanced renal lipid peroxidation, and accelerated the accumulation of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) in skin collagen. We conclude that administration of taurine, but not vitamin E, to rats with STZ-diabetes ameliorates diabetic nephropathy. The beneficial effect of taurine is related to reduced renal oxidant injury with decreased lipid peroxidation and less accumulation of AGEs within the kidney.

Evidence suggesting a role for hydroxyl radical in glycerol-induced acute renal failure.

Reactive oxygen metabolites, in particular hydroxyl radical, have been shown to be important mediators of tissue injury in several models of acute renal failure. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of hydroxyl radical in glycerol-induced acute renal failure, a model for myoglobinuric renal injury. Rats injected with glycerol alone (8 mg/kg im following dehydration for 24 h) developed significant renal failure compared with dehydrated controls. Rats treated with glycerol and a hydroxyl radical scavenger, dimethylthiourea (DMTU), had significantly lower blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. In contrast, urea, which is chemically similar to DMTU but is not a hydroxyl radical scavenger, provided no protection. In addition, DMTU prevented the glycerol-induced rise in renal cortical malondialdehyde content (a measure of lipid peroxidation that serves as a marker of free radical-mediated tissue injury). A second hydroxyl radical scavenger, sodium benzoate, had a similar protective effect on renal function (as measured by both BUN and creatinine). Because the generation of hydroxyl radical in biological systems requires the presence of a trace metal such as iron, we also examined the effect of the iron chelator, deferoxamine on glycerol-induced renal failure. Deferoxamine was also protective. The interventional agents were also associated with a marked reduction in histological evidence of renal damage. The protective effects of two hydroxyl radical scavengers as well as an iron chelator implicate a role for hydroxyl radical in glycerol-induced acute renal failure.

Evidence suggesting a role for hydroxyl radical in gentamicin-induced acute renal failure in rats.

The protective effect of hydroxyl radical scavengers and iron chelators has strongly implicated the hydroxyl radical in several models of tissue injury. Based on in vitro studies showing gentamicin-enhanced generation of reactive oxygen metabolites in renal cortical mitochondria, we examined the effect of hydroxyl radical scavengers and iron chelators in gentamicin-induced acute renal failure. Rats treated with gentamicin (G) alone (100 mg/kg, s.c. x 8 d) developed advanced renal failure (BUN 215 +/- 30 mg/dl) compared to saline-treated controls (BUN 16 +/- 1 mg/dl, P less than 0.001). In contrast, rats treated with gentamicin and either dimethylthiourea (DMTU, an hydroxyl radical scavenger, 125 mg/kg, i.p. twice a day) or deferoxamine (DFO, an iron chelator, 20 mg/day by osmotic pump) had significantly lower BUN (G + DMTU 48.8 +/- 8 mg/dl, P less than 0.001, n = 8; G + DFO 30 +/- 7 mg/dl, P less than 0.001, n = 8). In separate experiments, treatment with two other hydroxyl radical scavengers (dimethyl sulfoxide or sodium benzoate) and a second iron chelator (2,3,dihydroxybenzoic acid) had a similar protective effect on renal function (as measured by both BUN and creatinine). In addition, histological evidence of damage was markedly reduced by the interventional agents. Finally, concurrent treatment with DMTU prevented the gentamicin induced increase in renal cortical malondialdehyde content (G: 4.4 +/- 0.2 nmol/mg; G + DMTU: 3.1 +/- 0.2 nmol/mg, P less than 0.0001, n = 8) suggesting that the protective effect of DMTU was related to free radical mechanisms rather than to some other effect. Taken together, these data strongly support a role for hydroxyl radical or a similar oxidant in gentamicin-induced acute renal failure.