Ganoderma Lucidum Alleviates Ischemia- Reperfusion-Induced Renal Injury in Wistar Rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) kidney sections of rats induced by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 40 rats were assigned to 4 groups: control (Sham), I/R, G. lucidum, and I/R+ G. lucidum groups. Prior to animal experiments, 20 mL/kg G. lucidum was administered to the G. lucidum-treated groups for 7 days. The control and 1/R groups received only saline solution. The kidney was exposed to hypoxia for 1 hour by clamping renal vessels and was then allowed to reoxygenate for 6 hours. Blood was taken to measure for serum MDA, MPO, and GSH. Kidney tissues were resected for histological paraffin tissue protocol. Hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining were performed. RESULTS: MDA and MPO levels were highest in the I/R group but were close to the levels of the control group in the I/R+G. lucidum group. Unlike MDA and MPO values, GSH values were the lowest in the I/R group, but after G. lucidum treatment, GSH levels increased in the I/R+ G. lucidum group. In kidney sections of hematoxylin-eosin staining, the control group showed no pathology. In the I/R group, atrophic glomeruli, degenerated tubular cells, and mononuclear cell infiltration with dilated and congested vessels were observed. In the I/R+ G. lucidum group, I/R pathology was mostly recovered. In the G. lucidum group, ADAMTS-4 expression was moderately expressed in glomerular and tubular cells. The I/R group showed positive ADAMTS-4 expression in mostly inflammatory cells. In the I/R+ G. lucidun: group, ADAMTS-4 was positively expressed only in glomerular structures. In the G. lucidum group, caspase-3 expression was observed in glomerular and tubular cells. The I/R group showed strong caspase-3 activity in glomerular and tubular cells, in vascular cells, and inflammatory cells. The I/R +G. lucidum group showed weak caspase-3 expression. CONCLUSION: Ischemia-reperfusion injury caused histopathological and biochemical alterations in renal tissue; G. lucidum protected tissue structure and integrity by its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.