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The role of vitamin A in preventing renal scarring secondary to pyelonephritis
Author(s) -
Kavukçu,
Soylu,
Türkmen,
Sülen Sarıoğlu,
Büyükgebiz,
Güre
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
bju international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 1464-4096
DOI - 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.00063.x
Subject(s) - vitamin , medicine , inoculation , ciprofloxacin , vitamin d and neurology , fibrosis , endocrinology , gastroenterology , immunology , antibiotics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Objective To evaluate the efficiency of exogenously administered vitamin A in preventing renal scarring caused by experimental pyelonephritis in rats. Materials and methods Forty Wistar rats were injected with 0.1 mL of solution containing Escherichia coli (10 10 /mL) into both renal medullae. Five equal groups were then formed: group 1 was treated only with ciprofloxacin (30 mg/kg per day, twice daily, intraperitoneally) for 5 days, starting 3 days after bacterial inoculation; in group 2, 60 kIU of vitamin A was injected intramuscularly with the bacterial inoculation; in group 3, 60 kIU of vitamin A was injected similarly, but 3 days after bacterial inoculation; in group 4, 60 kIU of vitamin A was given orally with the bacterial inoculation; and group 5 was treated with ciprofloxacin for 5 days and vitamin A intramuscularly from the third day after bacterial inoculation. All the rats were killed 6 weeks after bacterial injection; blood samples were obtained to determine serum vitamin A and β‐carotene levels, and both kidneys were examined pathologically for scarring, graded as 0 (none), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate) and 3 (severe). Results Serum vitamin A levels were higher in the rats given vitamin A (group 2–5) than in group 1, being highest in group 4, although only this group had significantly higher levels of vitamin A than group 1 ( P <0.05). Histopathologically, the fibrosis was mildest in groups 2 and 4 (two of 16 kidneys grade 1), whereas it was most severe in group 1 (all 16 grade 2–3). Fibrosis was significantly less in groups 2–5 than in group 1 ( P <0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between vitamin A levels and the sum of the fibrosis, inflammation and tubular atrophy scores of all rats ( r =−0.391, P <0.02). β‐carotene levels were unrelated to renal scarring. Conclusion The administration of vitamin A could have a role in preventing renal scar formation from pyelonephritis induced experimentally in rats.