Oxidative damage and mitochondrial injuries differ following pneumoperitoneum pressure in rabbit models of varying degrees of hydronephrosis.

The influence of intraabdominal pressure which is necessary to maintain the operating area during the surgery cannot be ignored especially on the kidneys. Many articles have reported the effect of intraabdominal pressure on normal kidneys. However, the influence of intraabdominal pressure on hydronephrosis kidneys is rarely studied. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether intraabdominal pressure tolerance is modified in various degrees of kidney hydronephrosis by evaluating oxidative damage and mitochondrial injuries. A total of 72 rabbits were randomly divided into three groups (groups N, M and S, which represented rabbits with no, mild and severe hydronephrosis, respectively). Rabbits in groups M (n=24) and S (n=24) underwent a surgical procedure inducing mild or severe hydronephrosis, respectively. Subsequently, rabbits in all groups were allocated to 4 subgroups (N0­N3, M0­M3 and S0­S3) consisting of 6 rabbits each. Groups 0 to 3 were, respectively, subjected to intraabdominal pressures of 0, 5, 10 and 15 mmHg. Oxidative damage was assessed by analyzing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH­Px), catalase (CAT) and lactate (LD). Mitochondrial injuries were assessed based on mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) alterations, mitochondrial structure and cytochrome c (cytc) protein expression, as measured by JC­1 staining, electron microscopy and western blotting, respectively. Oxidative damage and mitochondrial injuries were noticeably exacerbated in group N and M with increased levels of ROS, MDA and LD, decreased levels of SOD, GSH­Px, CAT and MMP, mitochondrial vacuolization and higher expression of cytc when the intraabdominal pressure reached 15 mmHg. In group S, these alterations occurred at pressures of 10 and 15 mmHg. Therefore, it was concluded that in rabbits exposed to pneumoperitoneal pressure, kidneys with severe hydronephrosis were more likely to suffer from oxidative damage and mitochondrial injuries compared with kidneys with mild hydronephrosis and normal kidneys.