Quercetin Alleviates Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Acute Kidney Injury by Modulating IL-1β, Caspase-3, and Glutathione Signaling in Rats
Keywords:
Renal ischemia reperfusion; Quercetin; Nephroprotection; Oxidative stress; Inflammation; ApoptosisAbstract
Abstract
Background
Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is a leading contributor to acute kidney injury, involving complex pathophysiological mechanisms such as excessive oxidative stress, inflammatory activation, and dysregulation of cell survival pathways. Quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonol, is well recognized for its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study was designed to investigate the potential nephroprotective role of quercetin in an experimental rat model of renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Materials and Methods
Twenty-eight adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly allocated into four experimental groups: sham-operated, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) control, vehicle-treated (DMSO), and quercetin-treated groups. Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury was experimentally induced by subjecting both kidneys to ischemia for 30 minutes, followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Quercetin was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg, 30 minutes prior to the induction of ischemia. Renal tissue levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), caspase-3, and glutathione (GSH) were determined using commercially available sandwich ELISA kits. in addition to the assessment of renal histopathological changes.
Results
Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury induced a significant increase in IL-1β and caspase-3 levels, along with a marked depletion of GSH, in comparison with the sham group, reflecting pronounced inflammatory activation, apoptotic signaling, and oxidative stress. In contrast, quercetin pretreatment effectively mitigated renal injury by suppressing inflammatory and apoptotic responses and restoring antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by reduced IL-1β and caspase-3 levels and normalization of GSH content relative to the I/R control and vehicle groups. and attenuating renal histological damage.
Conclusion
Quercetin confers pronounced nephroprotective effects against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, largely mediated through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties.
Keywords
Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury; Quercetin; Nephroprotection; Oxidative stress; Inflammation; Apoptosis
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Kufa Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Endorsement and acknowledgment of the researcher
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that my research ………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sent for publication in your journal (Kufa Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences) includes the following:
First: The intellectual property of the research belongs to me, and I declare that I give all copyrights, distribution, and paper and electronic publishing to the journal or whomever it authorizes.
Second: My research marked above is my research and is not part of a published book or any other research, nor has it been previously published, nor has it been submitted for publication to another party. I have reviewed the publishing regulations in the magazine and I declare to abide by them and bear all legal consequences if this information is incorrect.
Signature:
Researcher name:
Affiliation:
Date:
