Urocortin does not reduce the renal injury and dysfunction caused by experimental ischaemia/reperfusion

Recent evidence indicates that activators of the serine/threonine kinase pathway protect against ischaemia/reperfusion. Here, we investigate the effects of renal ischaemia/reperfusion on the degree of renal dysfunction and injury with urocortin in rats. Rats treated with urocortin or its vehicle (saline) were subjected to bilateral renal artery occlusion (45 min) and reperfusion (6 h). At the end of experiments, the following indicators and markers of renal injury and dysfunction were measured: plasma urea, creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase, urine flow and creatinine clearance. Urocortin (1 or 15 microg/kg i.v.), administered 5 min prior to reperfusion, was not able to significantly reduce plasma urea, creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase indicating a non-protective effect on the renal dysfunction and reperfusion-injury caused by ischaemia/reperfusion. In addition, 15 microg/kg urocortin significantly depressed urine flow and creatinine clearance, which was associated with a significant depression in mean arterial pressure, indicating reduced renal perfusion. Thus, we propose that the pharmacological application of urocortin does not reduce the renal injury caused by bilateral renal ischaemia/reperfusion.