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Glucocorticoid receptor agonist dexamethasone attenuates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury by up-regulating eNOS/iNOS

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Summary

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into Sham group, IRI group and DEX group. The mice in IRI and DEX groups subjected to renal ischemia for 60 min, were treated with saline or DEX (4 mg/kg, i.p.) 60 min prior to I/R. After 24 h of reperfusion, the renal function, renal pathological changes, activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and the levels of iNOS and eNOS were detected. The results showed DEX significantly decreased the damage to renal function and pathological changes after renal IRI. Pre-treatment with DEX reduced ERK activation and down-regulated the level of iNOS, whereas up-regulated the level of eNOS after renal IRI. DEX could further promote the activation of GR. These findings indicated GR activation confers preconditioning-like protection against acute IRI partially by up-regulating the ratio of eNOS/iNOS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China

    Jiong Zhang  (张 炯), Jun-hua Li  (李俊华), Le Wang  (王 艻), Min Han  (韩 敏), Yue-qiang Li  (李月强), Gang Xu  (徐 钢) & Ying Yao  (姚 颖)

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China

    Fang Xiao  (肖 芳) & Xiao-qin Lan  (兰小勤)

  3. Department of Nephrology, Subsidiary of the Sichuan Academy of Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, 610072, China

    Jiong Zhang  (张 炯)

Authors
  1. Jiong Zhang  (张 炯)
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  2. Jun-hua Li  (李俊华)
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  3. Le Wang  (王 艻)
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  4. Min Han  (韩 敏)
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  5. Fang Xiao  (肖 芳)
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  6. Xiao-qin Lan  (兰小勤)
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  7. Yue-qiang Li  (李月强)
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  8. Gang Xu  (徐 钢)
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  9. Ying Yao  (姚 颖)
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Gang Xu  (徐 钢) or Ying Yao  (姚 颖).

Additional information

This project was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81170686, 81100498, 81100264, 81100485 and 81370798), and the Ministry of Education of China (No. 311028).

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Zhang, J., Li, Jh., Wang, L. et al. Glucocorticoid receptor agonist dexamethasone attenuates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury by up-regulating eNOS/iNOS. J. Huazhong Univ. Sci. Technol. [Med. Sci.] 34, 516–520 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-014-1308-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-014-1308-y

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