The protective effect of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone against kidney and lung ischemia reperfusion injury in rats and its potential mechanisms

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-1949.2015.04.019

Abstract：Objective To explore the protective effect of alpha -melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and the mRNA and protein expression of chemokine ( C-X-C motif) ligand 2 ( CXCL2) and transforming growth factor -α( TGF -α) in rats with kidney and lung ischemia reperfusion injury.Methods A total of 30 healthy male S-D rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group, renal ischemia -reperfusion ( I/R) andα-MSH group.The model of acute ischemic kidney injury in rats was made by blocking bilateral renal artery with clamps.All rats were sacrificed after 24 h of modeling, kidney and lung tissue of rats was sampled and stained with hematoxylin-eosin ( HE ) staining method, and the pathological changes of kidney and lung were observed under microscope.Blood samples were collected to detect the serum blood urea nitrogen ( BUN) and creatinine ( Cr) , the mRNA and protein expression of CXCL2 and TGF-αwas respectively detected by RT-PCR and ELISA.Results ①The value of BUN and Cr in I/R group was higher than those in control and α-MSH group (P<0.05), and no significant difference was detected between control andα-MSH group (P>0.05).②The levels of mRNA expression of CXCL2 inα-MSH group were lower than those in I/R group ( P<0.05) , while the levels of mRNA expression of TGF-αinα-MSH group were higher than those in I/R group ( P<0.05).③The levels of protein expression of CXCL2 and TGF-αin α-MSH and I/R group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05);the levels of protein expression of CXCL2 in α-MSH group is lower than those in I/R group ( P<0.05), while the levels of protein expression of TGF-αin α-MSH group is higher than those in I/R group (P<0.05).Conclusion α-MSH may increase the protein and mRNA expression of TGF-αand decrease the protein and mRNA expression of CXCL2, which probably is one of the mechanisms that reduce the kidney and lung injury among rats with I/R.