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Updated: Jul 1, 2026
Renal Ischaemia Reperfusion Injury: A Mouse Model of Injury and Regeneration
Published on: June 7, 2014
Change of melanocortin receptor expression in rat kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury
1Division of Nephrology, the Eulji University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. visionjcys@eulji.ac.kr
Objectives:
alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) may ameliorate renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Recent data suggest that melanocortin receptors may be related to the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating action for alpha-MSH. We designed this experiment to determine the renal distribution of alpha-MSH receptors; melanocortin-1 receptor (MC-1R) and melanocortin-3 receptor (MC-3R).
Methods:
Sprague-Dawley male rats (n = 24) were randomly divided into 2 groups: the sham (n = 2) and the operation groups with warm ischemia (n = 12). Animals in the operation group were subjected to 40 minutes of warm renal ischemia. Western blotting analyses and immunohistochemistry were employed to determine expression of MC-1R and MC-3R.
Results:
Expression of MC-1R and MC-3R was decreased on 1 day after reperfusion. Immunohistochemical study confirmed the findings of Western blot analysis.
Conclusions:
The present study demonstrated novel renal expression of MC-1R and MC-3R, especially in the outer medulla, representative of the renal I/R injury. Our current study suggested that the mechanisms of action of alpha-MSH may significantly attenuate the renal I/R injury by specific kidney-targeted effects via MC-Receptors as well as by systemic cytokine effects.
