Sodium thiosulfate ameliorates oxidative stress and preserves renal function in hyperoxaluric rats

Hyperoxaluria causes crystal deposition in the kidney, which leads to oxidative stress and to injury and damage of the renal epithelium. Sodium thiosulfate (STS, Na2S2O3) is an anti-oxidant, which has been used in human medicine for decades. The effect of STS on hyperoxaluria-induced renal damage is not known.

Hyperoxaluria and renal injury were induced in healthy male Wistar rats by chronic exposure to ethylene glycol (EG, 0.75%) in the drinking water for 4 weeks. The treatment effects of STS, NaCl or Na2SO4 were compared. Furthermore, the effects of STS on oxalate-induced oxidative stress were investigated in vitro in renal LLC-PK1 cells.

Chronic EG exposure led to hyperoxaluria, oxidative stress, calcium oxalate crystalluria and crystal deposition in the kidneys. Whereas all tested compounds significantly reduced crystal load, only STS-treatment maintained tissue superoxide dismutase activity and urine 8-isoprostaglandin levels in vivo and preserved renal function. In in vitro studies, STS showed the ability to scavenge oxalate-induced ROS accumulation dose dependently, reduced cell-released hydrogen peroxide and preserved superoxide dismutase activity. As a mechanism explaining this finding, STS was able to directly inactivate hydrogen peroxide in cell-free experiments.

STS is an antioxidant, which preserves renal function in a chronic EG rat model. Its therapeutic use in oxidative-stress induced renal-failure should be considered.