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Updated: May 11, 2026
Ischemia-reperfusion Model of Acute Kidney Injury and Post Injury Fibrosis in Mice
Published on: August 9, 2013
Consequences of Ischemic Preconditioning of Kidney: Comparing between Male and Female Rats
Seyyed Meisam Ebrahimi1, Nahid Aboutaleb, Maliheh Nobakht
1Abhar School of Nursing, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Abhar, Zanjan, Iran.
Objectives:
Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a leading cause of kidney transplantation failure, and ischemic-preconditioning (IPC) is a protective method against the IRI. In the present study, the defensive effect of IPC on rats' kidney was investigated and more importantly the differences between two genders were appraised.
Materials And Methods:
THIRTY TWO WISTAR RATS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO FOUR GROUPS: group A (8 male IR), B (8 female IR), C (8 male IPC) and D (8 female IPC). Ischemia was induced by clamping of left renal arteries for 45 min in groups A and B. Rats in groups C and D experienced four cycles of 4 min arterial clamping followed by 11 min of de-clamping prior to the final 45 min of ischemia. 24 hr later, serum was provided to assess the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine values. Also, renal tissues were obtained for histological measurements.
Results:
Induction of IPC in both male and female rats led to significant decrease in creatinine levels in comparison with sham groups (P<0.01). The same results were seen in BUN levels (P<0.01). However, there were no significant difference between two genders. Besides, histological protective effects of IPC was proved especially in female rats (P<0.01).
Conclusion:
Findings of our study confirmed that renal IPC reduces the damages in both genders especially females. Thus, the IPC procedure seems to be a useful method mainly in females.
Insights
Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) protects kidneys from ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in both male and female rats. IPC demonstrated greater histological protective effects in female rats, suggesting its utility primarily in females.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Transplantation Immunology
- Surgical Research
Background:
- Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a primary cause of kidney transplant failure.
- Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is a known protective strategy against IRI.
- Investigating gender-specific differences in IPC's efficacy is crucial for optimizing kidney protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the protective effect of IPC against kidney IRI in a rat model.
- To assess potential gender-based differences in the efficacy of IPC.
Main Methods:
- Wistar rats were divided into four groups: male/female ischemia-reperfusion (IR) and male/female ischemic preconditioning (IPC).
- IPC involved multiple cycles of ischemia and reperfusion before sustained ischemia.
- Kidney function was assessed via serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, alongside histological examination.
Main Results:
- IPC significantly reduced serum creatinine and BUN levels in both male and female rats compared to IR groups (P<0.01).
- No significant difference in biochemical markers was observed between genders.
- Histological analysis revealed significant protective effects of IPC, particularly pronounced in female rats (P<0.01).
Conclusions:
- Renal IPC effectively mitigates IRI-induced damage in both male and female rats.
- The histological protective effects of IPC are more pronounced in females.
- IPC emerges as a potentially valuable therapeutic strategy, especially for female recipients undergoing kidney transplantation.