Animal models of thermal injury implicate
oxygen radicals as causative agents in local
wound response and distant organ injury following
burn. In this study we investigated the putative protective effects of 2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (
MESNA) against oxidative kidney damage in rats with thermal injury. Under
ether anaesthesia, shaved dorsum of the rats was exposed to 90 degrees C bath for 10s to induce
burn injury. Rats were decapitated either 6 or 24h after
burn injury.
MESNA was administered i.p. immediately after
burn injury.
MESNA injections were repeated once more 12h after the first injection in the 24h
burn group. In the control group the same protocol was applied except that the dorsum was dipped in a 25 degrees C water bath for 10s. Kidney tissues were taken for the determination of
malondialdehyde (MDA) and
glutathione (GSH) levels,
protein oxidation (PO),
myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and
collagen contents.
Creatinine,
urea concentrations (BUN) and
lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in blood were measured for the evaluation of renal functions and tissue damage, respectively. Tissues were also examined microscopically. Severe skin scald injury (30% of total body surface area) caused significant decrease in GSH level, significant increase in MDA level,
protein oxidation (PO), MPO activity and
collagen content of renal tissue. Serum
creatinine was slightly increased at the early phase of thermal
trauma but not changed in 24h groups. On the other hand BUN and LDH were significantly elevated by thermal
trauma in both 6 and 24h of
burn groups. Treatment of rats with
MESNA significantly increased the GSH level and decreased the MDA level, PO, MPO activity,
collagen contents, BUN and LDH. Since
MESNA reversed the
oxidant responses seen in
burn injury, it seems likely that
MESNA could protect against thermal
trauma-induced renal damage.