OBJECTIVE
To investigate effects of combination of
erythropoietin (EPO) and epidermal growth
factor (EGF) on renal ischaemia and on
reactive oxygen species in a rat model.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In all, 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats were
allocated into five groups of 18, designated:
Sham; treated with right nephrectomy only;
Control, subjected to left renal ischaemia for
45 min with no treatment; EPO-treated,
as the control but with EPO pretreatment;
EGF-treated, as the control but with EGF
pretreatment; EPO
+
EGF-treated, as the
control but with EPO and EGF pretreatment. Renal function, histopathology and
malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide
dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione
(GSH) levels in kidneys were assessed at 1, 2
and 7 days after ischaemia.
RESULTS
All rats except the controls had a significant
improvement in serum creatinine, creatinine
clearance and fractional excretion of Na
+
;
all three were significantly better in EPO
+
EGF group than in all other groups
Histopathological examination showed
marked structural damage in control rats.
The tubular damage was least in the EPO
+
EGF group. The control group had a
significant increase in MDA level and a significant decrease in SOD and GSH, while
the EPO
+
EGF group had a marked
significant reduction in MDA and increase in
GSH and SOD.
CONCLUSION
The protection against ischaemia/
reperfusion injury might be maximal
when EPO and EGF are administered
concomitantly, and their protective effect
might be partly due to their antioxidant
effects.
KEYWORDS
kidney, rat, ischaemia/reperfusion injury,
erythropoietin, EGF, SOD, GSH, MDA