The effects of dexmedetomidine on early acute kidney injury in severely burned rats

OBJECTIVE: Burns are a global medical and economic problem. In addition to high costs, the lengthy therapeutic process and the emotional trauma experienced by patients and their families indirectly worsen the socio-economic damage caused. Kidney failure observed after burns is highly correlated with mortality.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats (age four months, weight 250-350 g) were included in the study. They were randomly assigned into four groups consisting of seven rats each with similar mean weights. Group 1 (n=7) represented the healthy control group (C), Group 2 (n=7) the Sham+dex-medetomidine (DEX) 100 mcg/kg (three dos-es) (S+DEX100) group, Group 3 (n=7) the 30% Burn (B), and Group 4 (n=7) the 30% Burn+-DEX 100 mcg/kg/day group (B+DEX100) (three doses). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substanc-es (TBARS), total thiol (TT), interleukin-1 (IL -1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) values in kidney tissues were investigated biochemi-cally, and histopathological analyses were also performed. Nuclear factor kB (NF-kB)/p65 was measured using immunohistochemistry, and the TUNEL assay was applied to indicate apoptotic tubular epithelial cells.RESULTS: TBARS, IL-1, and TNF-alpha in kidney tissues decreased in the B+DEX100 group com-pared to the 30% burn group, while total thi-ol values increased. Histopathologically, atypi-cal glomeruli, particularly necrotic tubules, and inflammation in peritubular areas decreased in the B+DEX100 group compared to the 30% burn group. In addition, apoptotic tubular epithelial cells exhibiting TUNEL positivity and tubular ep-ithelial cells exhibiting NF-k beta/p65 positivity also decreased in the B+DEX100 group compared to the 30% burn group.CONCLUSIONS: Dexmedetomidine reduced apoptotic activity in rats and exhibited anti-in-flammatory antioxidant effects in the burn mod-el in this study.