Melatonin reduces rhabdomyolysis-induced acute renal failure in rats

Rhabdomyolysis is one cause of acute renal failure, and melatonin could attenuate organ damage with its antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possible effects of melatonin on glycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure in rats. After an intramuscular injection of 10 mL/kg 50% glycerol in rats, rhabdomyolysis was induced. Ten minutes later, the rats were administered an intravenous injection of melatonin (10 mg/kg in 0.5 mL normal saline). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cre), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) were measured at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h. The rats were sacrificed 48 h after the glycerol injection, and the kidneys were removed immediately for pathological and immunohistochemistry (IHC) examinations. The results showed that glycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis significantly increased blood BUN, Cre, GOT, GPT, and CPK levels and induced severe histopathologic damage in the kidneys. In the kidneys, increased expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and decreased expression of E-cadherin were detected using IHC. Treatment with melatonin decreased serum BUN and Cre levels; suppressed NF-kappa B and iNOS expression; decreased renal tissue injury scores; and preserved E-cadherin expression in rhabdomyolysis-induced acute renal failure. The beneficial effects of melatonin were observed as it helped protect the kidneys from glycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis in rats.