Experimental myoglobinuric acute renal failure: the effect of vitamin C

Ren Fail. 2008;30(7):727-35. doi: 10.1080/08860220802212965.

Abstract

During times of war and natural disasters, rhabdomyolysis-induced myoglobinuric acute renal failure (ARF) can assume epidemic proportions. Free radicals play an important role in the pathogenesis of myoglobinuric ARF. Vitamin C is a major antioxidant, scavenging free radicals. We have not found any studies on the effect of vitamin C on myoglobinuric ARF. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin C on the myoglobinuric ARF formed by glycerol in rats. Three groups of rats were employed in this study. Group 1 served as control, group 2 was given 50% glycerol (10 mL/kg, i.m.), and group 3 was given glycerol plus vitamin C (20 mg/kg, i.p. for four days). Ninety-six hours after glycerol injections, blood samples and kidney tissues were taken from the anesthetized rats. Urea and creatinine levels in plasma; N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity in urine; malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzyme activity in kidney tissue were determined. Histopathological changes and iron accumulation in the kidney tissue were evaluated. In this study, glycerol administration led to marked renal oxidative stress and severe renal functional and morphological deterioration. The treatment of animals with vitamin C partially corrected the renal dysfunction and morphological impairment. In this respect, vitamin C appears to be a promising candidate for the prevention of rhabdomyolysis-induced ARF. Higher dosages of vitamin C than in 20 mg/kg may be beneficial for better functional and morphological recovery in this model ARF.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / chemically induced
  • Acute Kidney Injury / pathology
  • Acute Kidney Injury / prevention & control*
  • Animals
  • Ascorbic Acid / administration & dosage*
  • Biopsy, Needle
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Glycerol
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kidney Function Tests
  • Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute / chemically induced
  • Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute / pathology
  • Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute / prevention & control
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • Myoglobinuria / chemically induced
  • Myoglobinuria / pathology
  • Myoglobinuria / prevention & control*
  • Probability
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reference Values
  • Rhabdomyolysis / chemically induced
  • Rhabdomyolysis / pathology
  • Rhabdomyolysis / prevention & control
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Statistics, Nonparametric

Substances

  • Malondialdehyde
  • Glycerol
  • Ascorbic Acid