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Surgical trauma is associated with renal immune cell activation in rats: A microarray study
Michael Hultström1,2, Di Peng1, Mediha Becirovic Agic1
1Department of Medical Cell Biology, Integrative Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Physiological Reports
|December 10, 2021
Summary
Surgical trauma rapidly activates immune cells, primarily macrophages, in rat kidneys. This immune response, identified through gene expression analysis, is linked to inflammation and potential kidney injury following surgery.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent perioperative complication with high mortality.
- Understanding the molecular mechanisms of AKI is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
- Surgical trauma can trigger inflammatory responses in the kidneys.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate renal gene expression changes following prolonged anesthesia and surgery in rats.
- To identify molecular pathways predisposing kidneys to injury after surgical insults.
- To determine the cellular source of immune activation in the kidney post-surgery.
Main Methods:
- Microarray analysis for global renal mRNA expression profiling.
- Quantitative real-time PCR for validating gene expression changes.
- Bioinformatics analysis (gene ontology, pathway analysis) for identifying biological processes.
- Immunohistochemistry to assess immune cell infiltration.
Main Results:
- Prolonged surgery induced significant changes in renal mRNA expression.
- Bioinformatics analysis revealed enrichment in immune system activation pathways.
- Gene expression changes were predominantly associated with macrophages.
- No significant difference in immune cell infiltration was observed, suggesting activation of resident cells.
Conclusions:
- Surgical trauma triggers a rapid immune response in rat kidneys.
- Macrophages are the primary immune cells activated following surgical trauma.
- This immune activation is likely due to surgical trauma itself, not bacterial infection.
