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Updated: May 23, 2026

Technical Refinement of a Bilateral Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Mouse Model for Acute Kidney Injury Research
Published on: November 3, 2023
[Protective effects of morphine postconditioning on renal tissue against acute hypoxic-reoxygenation injury in
Xiao-Qin Jiang1, Juan Ni, Pei Yang
1Department of Anesthesiology, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Objective:
To investigate the protective effects of morphine postconditioning on the renal hypoxic/ reoxygenation injury in rabbit and the mechanisms involved.
Methods:
Hypoxic/reoxygenation injury was induced with inhalation 8% O2 3 hours followed by breathing in air 48 hours. Thirty male white New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, hypoxic/reoxgenation group (H/R group) and morphine hypoxic postconditioning group (MO+H/R group). Animals in H/R and MO+H/R group received 5 mL of saline or morphine 3 mg/kg respectively before induction reoxygenation. The levels of serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were detected respectively at 48 hour after bypoxic and reoxgenation happened. Pathological changes in the different groups were also evaluated by light microscope. Renal apoptosis was determined quantitatively by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)methods. Result The SCr and BUN in H/R group and MO+ H/R group were much higher respectively when compared with those in the N group. The SCr and BUN in MO+H/R group were much higher compared with those in the H/R group. The renal pathological changes were more severe in the H/R group than that of MO+H/R group. Apoptosis phenomenon was lower in MO+H/R group than H/R group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Morphine postconditioning can protect rabbit against acute renal hypoxic/reoxygenation injury by reducing renal apoptosis.

