Alprostadil attenuates inflammatory aspects and leucocytes adhesion on renal ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of alprostadil in an experimental model of ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) in rat renal tissue. METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were randomized into three groups Vehicle-treated group(Veh), Alprostadil-treated(Al), and sham(Sh) group. Veh and Al groups had suprarenal aorta occluded for 30 minutes and reperfused for 60 minutes. Saline or 20 mu g/kg of Alprostadil was intravenously infused immediately before declamping. Sh group animals underwent similar procedure without aortic occlusion. Left nephrectomy and blood sampling were performed after 60 minutes of reperfusion. Renal ICAM-1 expression and histological analysis were performed to estimate inflammatory response and tissue disarrangement. Serum biochemical markers for IRI were also measured. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess differences between the groups. RESULTS: There was lower expression of ICAM-1 in groups Veh and Sh. On histologically evaluation, inflammation and necrosis in the Veh group was significantly higher (grades III/IV) than Al group (Veh>Al=Sh; p = 0.025), as well as CPK levels (Veh>Al=Sh; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Alprostadil attenuates the immunohistochemical and histological repercussions in the renal tissue of rats submitted to a post-ischemic reperfusion with supra-renal aortic clamping.