Associations between exposure to phthalates and liver function among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology.

Phthalates can induce hepatotoxicity in animal studies. We aimed to assess the associations of individual and mixture of urinary phthalate metabolites with serum liver function indicators among 764 women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). In linear models, we observed inverse correlations between urinary mono-benzyl phthalate and serum total protein (TP) as well as globulin (ß=-0.27 and -0.23, respectively, P<0.05). Additionally, negative associations were identified between mono-isobutyl phthalate and mono-butyl phthalate (MBP) and aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine transaminase ratio (AST/ALT) (P<0.05). MBP and the sum of all phthalate metabolites (∑all.phth.m) were positively associated with bilirubin, with ß ranging from 0.14 to 0.47. Most phthalate metabolites were also positively related to gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (all P<0.05). In Bayesian kernel machine regression models, phthalate mixture was positively associated with bilirubin and GGT, whereas inversely associated with AST/ALT and TP. Our results suggest that phthalate exposure may impair liver function among women undergoing ART.

Multiplex Optical Urinalysis for Early Detection of Drug-Induced Kidney Injury.

Drug-induced kidney injury (DIKI) is a significant contributor of both acute and chronic kidney injury and remains a major concern in drug development and clinical care. However, current clinical diagnostic methods often fail to accurately and timely detect nephrotoxicity. This study reports the development of activatable molecular urinary reporters (MURs) that are able to specifically detect urinary biomarkers including γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), and N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminidase (NAG). By virtue of their discrete absorption and emission properties, the mixture of MURs can serve as a cocktail sensor for multiplex optical urinalysis in the mouse models of drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The MURs cocktail not only detects nephrotoxicity earlier than the tested clinical diagnostic methods in drug-induced AKI and CKD mice models, but also possesses a higher diagnostic accuracy. Therefore, MURs hold great promise for detection of kidney function in both preclinical drug screening and clinical settings.

Equine urinary N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase assay validation and correlation with other markers of kidney injury.

Detection of equine acute kidney injury (AKI) is hindered by limited markers of early renal damage in horses. N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), a lysosomal enzyme in renal tubular epithelium released into urine during tubular insult, has shown promise for early identification of AKI in humans and other species. We validated an assay for NAG in equine urine and measured urinary NAG in 7 azotemic and 7 non-azotemic client-owned adult horses. The enzymatic NAG assay was validated using within- and between-run coefficients of variation (CVs), recovery following standard addition, and linearity of dilution. Intra- and inter-run CVs (21% and 3.2%, respectively), average recovery following standard addition (99-109%), and linearity under serial dilution (R2 = 0.997) were satisfactory. Urine NAG index was significantly correlated with urinary fractional excretion of sodium (FENa; ρ = 0.76, p < 0.001) and plasma creatinine (ρ = 0.74, p = 0.001). Median urine NAG indices were higher in azotemic horses (p = 0.006), in horses with increased urinary FENa (p = 0.006), and in horses with increased urine gamma-glutamyl transferase index (p = 0.032). Urine NAG can be measured in horses and shows positive correlation with 2 current renal biomarkers. Additional work is needed to establish normal equine reference intervals and characterize the increase of urine NAG index in horses in relation to tubular injury.

Evaluation of urinary γ-glutamyl transferase and serum creatinine in non-azotaemic hospitalised dogs.

Urinary and blood biomarkers for diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in hospitalised dogs were evalueted. This prospective study included 97 dogs, classified according to the International Renal Interest Society classification into no AKI and AKI grade 1 (48-hour increase in serum creatinine≥0.3 mg/dl and/or urinary production <1 ml/kg/hour for at least six hours). A total of 62 of 97 dogs (64 per cent) were classified as AKI 1. A statistically significant difference was found between no AKI and AKI 1 in urine protein to creatinine ratio, urinary γ-glutamyl transferase (uGGT) and uGGT/cu (P<0.0001). Thirteen of 97 dogs (13.4 per cent) that developed increased creatinine and change in AKI grade showed high mortality (n=9/13; 69.2 per cent). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of uGGT/cu index as a marker for AKI grade 1 had an area under the ROC curve of 0.78; optimal cut-off point was 57.50 u/g, with sensitivity and specificity of 75.4 per cent and 75.6 per cent, respectively. Overall intensive care unit mortality was 23.7 per cent (23/97), 13.4 per cent (13/97) of which died during hospitalisation and 10.3 per cent (10/97) within 28 days after discharge. uGGT is an acceptable marker for distinguishing between AKI 1 and no AKI.

Validation of a spectrophotometric method for GGT measurement in canine urine and determination of the urine GGT-to-creatinine ratio reference interval and biological variation in 41 healthy dogs.

The urine gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)-to-creatinine ratio has been used to monitor patients at risk of acute renal injury. We validated the spectrophotometric quantification of GGT in urine in a commercial biochemistry analyzer. The assay was precise, accurate, and linear. Intra-assay precision was 3.59% in 4 samples, with GGT concentrations of 47-195 U/L. Inter-assay precision in 3 samples with activities of 11-51 U/L was 7.74%. Accuracy was 97.3%, with an absolute bias of 2.7 U/L. Urine GGT was unaffected by hematuria, hemoglobinuria, or bacteriuria. Urine GGT was stable at 20°C and 4°C for up to 3 d. Storage by freezing at -20°C resulted in a significant reduction in enzyme activity. A pH outside the range of 6.5-8 resulted in reduced GGT activity. The biological variation of urine GGT-to-creatinine ratio provided an index of individuality of 1.6, indicating that a population-based reference interval (RI) can be used. The reference change value was calculated, and an increase in consecutive measurements >43% is required to be regarded as significant. The urine GGT-to-creatinine ratio RI obtained in a population of 41 healthy dogs was 8.5-28.5 U/g.

BIOMARKERS OF RENAL INJURY RISK IN CHILDREN WITH PYELONEPHRITIS.

The most common cause of fever in case of anomalies of the urinary system is pyelonephritis (PN). Despite the fact that an intensive search for informative clinical and laboratory markers of PN in children is being conducted in recent years, this problem remains unresolved. Objective - to examine the content of organ-specific enzymes (neutral α-glucosidase (NAG), L-alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP) in urine and galectin 3 (Gal -3), C-reactive protein (CPR) in blood serum. A prospective, comprehensive clinical and laboratory-instrumental examination was performed in 75 children under the age of 1. The activity of organ-specific enzymes (NAG, AAP, GGTP) in urine and CPR, Gal-3 in the serum of blood were estimated as markers of proximal tubules' damage. The majority (62.99 ± 5.33%) of hospitalized children with febrile temperature and urine changes were diagnosed with PN, which often arose with underlying congenital malformations of the urinary tract. Among children with PN underlaying with VUR, the II and III grades of activity were significantly more frequent. An increase of the level of the enzymes in the urine is observed in the active phase of PN, which correlated with the level of leukocyturia and the level of CRP. During the inactive phase of PN with VUR, the level of enzymes was also higher than the one in children with PN without VUR. High values of Gal-3 were detected in case of underlying VUR, which increased together with increased activity and duration of the inflammatory process in kidneys and correlated with the level of CRP. The Gal-3 can be used for an early diagnosis of fibrotic changes of the renal parenchyma in adolescent children with PN and underlying VUR.

Biomarkers and renal arterial resistive index in dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis frequently causes glomerulonephritis and tubulointerstitial nephritis, nephropathies for which diagnosis has been limited by the low sensitivity of traditional tests. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum cystatin C and urinary gamma-glutamyltransferase (uGGT) levels and the urinary GGT/urinary creatinine ratio (uGGT/uCR) and to measure the renal arterial resistive index (RARI) in dogs with leishmaniasis with varying degrees of renal injury based on the urine protein: creatinine ratio (UP/C) and serum creatinine (SCr) level. We tested 59 untreated adult dogs of both sexes and undefined breeds naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. The dogs were grouped into four groups based on UP/C and SCr level: group 1 (n = 15), dogs with SCr levels < 1.4 mg/dL and UP/C < 0.5; group 2 (n = 13), dogs with SCr levels < 1.4 mg/dL and UP/C of 0.5-1.0; group 3 (n = 16), dogs with SCr levels < 1.4 and UP/C > 1.0; and group 4 (n = 15), dogs with SCr levels > 1.4. A fifth group of healthy dogs (n = 10) was the control. uGGT concentrations and uGGT/uCR were higher in dogs with proteinuria and SCr < 1.4 mg/dL, whereas the serum cystatin C concentrations and RARI were higher only in dogs with SCr levels > 1.4. In conclusion, uGGT and uGGT/uCR may be useful tools for early detection and assessment of renal lesions associated with leishmaniasis; however, cystatin C is useful for monitoring the progression of kidney disease when measured sequentially.

Use of urinary γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) to monitor the pattern of proteinuria in dogs with leishmaniasis treated with N-methylglucamine antimoniate.

The aim of this study was to assess if the coupled analysis of the urinary protein to creatinine (UPC) ratio and of the GGT/UC ratio (the ratio between urinary γ-glutamyl transferase activity and urinary creatinine) may be used in treated leishmaniotic dogs to differentiate dogs with transient impairment of tubular function from dogs with persistent tubular damage. To this aim, 40 urine from 10 proteinuric and leishmaniotic dogs that at the first visit had high GGT/UC ratio, consistent with tubular damage, were collected and analyzed before treatments and 2, 4 and 6 weeks after treatment with N-methylglucamine antimoniate and allopurinol. Compared with pre-treatment values, at the end of the study period the UPC ratio decreased only in 5/10 dogs, which, however, were still proteinuric or borderline proteinuric. Conversely, the GGT/CU ratio decreased in 8/10 dogs and in 3 of them the values at the end of the study period were below the threshold consistent with tubular proteinuria. The GGT/UC values at 6 weeks was significantly lower than before treatment. However, transient increases were frequent for both the analytes. These results indicate that in most of the dogs that remain proteinuric after treatment, likely due to the persistent glomerular damage, the GGT/UC ratio tends to normalize. This suggests that in these dogs tubular proteinuria at admission depends on functional impairment of tubular cells likely due to the overflow of proteins from damaged glomeruli. However, tubular proteinuria occasionally persists, suggesting that tubulointerstitial damages persist even in dogs responsive to treatments.

Reference limits of the urinary gamma-glutamyltransferase in a healthy population and effects of short-term storage on the enzyme activity.

BACKGROUND: Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is present mainly in proximal renal tubule, and urinary GGT is an indicator of tubular damage since it may show renal changes before they are identified by using conventional measurements. Therefore, it is of interest to establish the reference limits of urinary GGT for a healthy population, as well as to investigate the stability of GGT in urine samples stored at 4 °C and -20 °C. METHODS: GGT was assessed in urine samples from 127 healthy patients by use of a reference method based on the 5-Amino-2-Nitrobenzoate formation. Stability of GGT was evaluated in 10 urine samples stored at temperatures of 4 °C and -20 °C for a period up to 4 weeks. RESULTS: Urinary GGT values for healthy volunteers were 14 U/g creatinine for the lower reference limit and 79 U/g creatinine for the upper reference limit. Urinary GGT values were approximately 56% lower in samples stored at -20 °C than fresh samples, while samples stored at 4 °C presented a decrease of 11% in GGT values compared to fresh samples. CONCLUSIONS: Reference limits for urinary GGT in healthy subjects were 14 to 79 U/g creatinine, and it is recommended to measure urinary GGT in fresh specimens.

Clinical utility of urine kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in the diagnosis of canine acute kidney injury.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of urine KIM-1 and urine GGT for the detection of naturally-occurring AKI, compared to healthy control dogs, dogs with stable chronic kidney disease (CKD), and dogs with lower urinary tract disorders (LUTD). The study included AKI grade 1 (n = 21), AKI grade 2 to 5 (n = 11), stable CKD (n = 11), LUTD (n = 15), and healthy dogs (n = 37). Urine KIM-1 (ng/mg) and GGT (U/l) were normalized to urine creatinine (uCr). Statistically significant difference in KIM/uCr (p = 0.0007) and GGT/uCr (p < 0.0001) was found among the study groups. Area under the curve (AUC) for KIM-1/uCr and GGT/uCr as predictors of AKI was 0.81 and 0.91 respectively. Values of KIM-1/uCr of 0.73 ng/mg and of GGT/uCr of 54.33 showed the best combination of sensitivity and specificity (75% and 75.6%; 85.7% and 89.1% respectively). A significant positive correlation (p < 0.0001) between KIM-1/uCr and GGT/uCr was found. Both urine KIM-1/uCr and GGT/uCr seemed to be potentially good markers for the diagnosis of AKI. Dogs with AKI showed significantly higher levels of urine KIM-1/uCr and urine GGT/uCr, compared with healthy dogs. Caution should be used in the evaluation of elevated urine KIM-1/uCr and GGT/uCr in dogs with pre-existing CKD and/or LUTD. Urine KIM-1/uCr and GGT/uCr might have a significant clinical utility, as complementary test, particularly in diagnosis early, non-azotemic stages of AKI.

Renal tubular damage caused by cylindrospermopsin (cyanotoxin) in mice.

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cyanotoxin and a hydrophilic alkaloid of 415 Da. The principal effect of CYN is the inhibition of protein synthesis, and it can damage various organs. Studies have demonstrated that the kidney is the most affected organ. CYN has played roles in at least two poisoning cases, i.e., the mysterious Palm Island disease in Australia and the event at Caruaru in Brazil. Therefore, we aimed to determine how CYN disrupts the renal tissue. Dose-response curves following single intraperitoneal injections of purified CYN (at 0, 16, 32, 64 and 128 µg CYN/kg body weight) were created in 10-week-old male BALB/C mice (n = 4). Renal physiology parameters were analyzed after 7 and 14 days. However, no alterations in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or nephrin expression (a crucial protein for glomerular integrity) were observed. We detected low-molecular-weight proteinuria and increased excretions of the tubular enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) at doses of 16, 32 and 64 µg CYN/kg body weight. Furthermore, we observed increases in the renal interstitial space and collagen deposition that indicated edema and fibrosis. The data seem to indicate that the damage is in the proximal tubule.

Sex differences in the excretion levels of traditional and novel urinary biomarkers of nephrotoxicity in rats.

Urinary biomarkers have been used widely in preclinical toxicity studies to detect dysfunctions and injuries of the kidney caused by drugs under development. While they have been well studied for evaluating nephrotoxicity, knowledge of sex differences in excretion levels of urinary biomarkers remains inadequate. We conducted experiments focused on effects of endogenous sex hormones on urinary biomarkers using intact and castrated male and female rats. Comparisons of the urinary biomarker excretion levels between intact male and female rats at 5, 7, 9 and 12 weeks of age revealed higher excretion levels of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γGTP), total protein, liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), cystatin C (Cys-C) and ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG), and lower excretion level of kidney injury molecule 1 (Kim-1), in male rats as compared to female rats. Orchidectomized male rats showed lower urinary excretion levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), LAP, γGTP, N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), glucose, total protein, L-FABP, Cys-C, ß2-MG and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and higher urinary excretion levels of clusterin (CLU) and Kim-1, than sham-operated male rats. On the other hand, no significant differences in the urinary biomarker excretion levels excluding ALP were observed between ovariectomized and sham-operated female rats. In the present study, we demonstrated the existence of sex differences in excretion levels of urinary biomarkers that are universally used in preclinical toxicity studies, and also that these differences, especially in relation to the urinary excretions of ALP, LAP, γGTP, total protein, L-FABP, Cys-C, and ß2-MG, may closely relate to the endogenous testosterone.

Utility of urinary alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase in diagnosing acute kidney injury in dogs.

The diagnostic utility of urinary alkaline phosphatase (uALP) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (uGGT) activities in naturally occurring acute kidney injury (AKI) was investigated in a heterogeneous group of dogs. The study included client-owned dogs with AKI (n = 32), chronic kidney disease (CKD, n = 13), lower urinary tract infection (LUTI, n = 15) and healthy controls (n = 24). uGGT and uALP activities were normalised to urinary creatinine (uCr) concentrations (uGGT/uCr and uALP/uCr, respectively). uALP/uCr and uGGT/uCr were positively and significantly correlated (r = 0.619, P <0.001), and differed significantly (P ≤ 0.001) among groups, as well as between AKI and LUTI or CKD groups (P < 0.05), but not between the AKI and control groups. Areas under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve for uALP/uCr and uGGT/uCr as predictors of AKI were 0.75 and 0.65, respectively, with optimal cut-off points showing poor to moderate sensitivity (59% for uALP/uCr and 79% for uGGT/uCr) and specificity (59% for uALP/uCr and 75% for uGGT/uCr). Higher cut-off points, with 90% specificity, showed low sensitivity (41% for both uALP/uCr and uGGT/uCr). In conclusion, uALP/uCr is superior to uGGT/uCr as a marker of AKI, but both uGGT/uCr and uALP/uCr have unsatisfactory discriminatory power for diagnosing naturally occurring AKI in dogs and therefore cannot be recommended as sole screening tests for canine AKI. However, both may serve as ancillary, confirmatory, biomarkers for detecting AKI in dogs if appropriate cut-off points with high specificities are used.

[NEPHROPROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF 5-HT3 RECEPTOR BLOCKER RU-63 IN EXPERIMENTAL ACUTE RENAL FAILURE UNDER HYPERGRAVITY CONDITIONS].

The effective diuretic dose of 5-HT3 receptor blocker RU-63 (1 mg/kg) was found in experiments on white rats. It is established that the diuretic and saluretic effects of compound RU-63 increase on the background of impact of the gravitational factor. Compound RU-63 (1 mg/kg, subcutaneously) administered daily under hypergravity conditions (3 g in the direction of centrifugal force toward the kidneys) in animals with model ischemic acute renal failure increased excretory function of kidneys, glomerular filtration rate, and creatininuresis (on average by 180%; p < 0.05), and decreased serum creatinine, urinary excretion of protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and g-glutamyl transferase (on average by 49%; p < 0.05) as compared to the untreated control. Under similar conditions, the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (in a dose of 20 mg/kg, intragastric) produced a more pronounced creatininuretic action than that of RU-63 (by 358%; p < 0.05).

Urinary gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) as a marker of tubular proteinuria in dogs with canine leishmaniasis, using sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) electrophoresis as a reference method.

In order to assess if urinary γ- glutamyl transferase (GGT) identify tubular proteinuria in leishmaniotic dogs, the GGT/urinary creatinine (UC) ratio was calculated in 39 leishmaniotic dogs. According to sodium dodecylsulphate-agarose gel electrophoresis, the dogs had albuminuria (A, n = 10), glomerular (G, n = 3), tubular (T, n = 4) or mixed proteinuria (M, n = 22). The median GGT/UC ratio was 0.3, 0.3, 2.2, and 7.5, in groups G, A, M, and T, respectively. Statistically significant differences were found between groups G and M (P = 0.002), G and T (P <0.001), A and M (P <0.001), and A and T (P <0.001). Median values were higher in dogs with tubular components of proteinuria (M/T, 2.5) than in dogs without tubular components of proteinuria (A/G, 0.3), and in dogs with tubular proteinuria (T, 7.5) than in dogs with non-tubular proteinuria (NT, 1.0). GGT/UC values >0.81 or >2.64 could identify dogs in the M/T or T groups, respectively. Therefore, GGT/UC might be useful for the management of leishmaniotic dogs.

Diagnostic accuracy of urinary prostate protein glycosylation profiling in prostatitis diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Although prostatitis is a common male urinary tract infection, clinical diagnosis of prostatitis is difficult. The developmental mechanism of prostatitis is not yet unraveled which led to the elaboration of various biomarkers. As changes in asparagine-linked-(N-)-glycosylation were observed between healthy volunteers (HV), patients with benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer patients, a difference could exist in biochemical parameters and urinary N-glycosylation between HV and prostatitis patients. We therefore investigated if prostatic protein glycosylation could improve the diagnosis of prostatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Differences in serum and urine biochemical markers and in total urine N-glycosylation profile of prostatic proteins were determined between HV (N=66) and prostatitis patients (N=36). Additionally, diagnostic accuracy of significant biochemical markers and changes in N-glycosylation was assessed. RESULTS: Urinary white blood cell (WBC) count enabled discrimination of HV from prostatitis patients (P<0.001). Urinary bacteria count allowed for discriminating prostatitis patients from HV (P<0.001). Total amount of biantennary structures (urinary 2A/MA marker) was significantly lower in prostatitis patients compared to HV (P<0.001). Combining the urinary 2A/MA marker and urinary WBC count resulted in an AUC of 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI)=(0.70-0.89) which was significantly better than urinary WBC count (AUC=0.70, 95% CI=[0.59-0.82], P=0.042) as isolated test. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated the diagnostic value of urinary N-glycosylation profiling, which shows great potential as biomarker for prostatitis. Further research is required to unravel the developmental course of prostatic inflammation.

Associations between Urinary Excretion of Cadmium and Renal Biomarkers in Nonsmoking Females: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Areas of South China.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the relationship between urinary excretion of cadmium (U-Cd) and biomarkers of renal dysfunction. METHODS: One hundred eighty five non-smoking female farmers (aged from 44 to 71 years) were recruited from two rural areas with different cadmium levels of exposure in southern China. Morning spot urine samples were collected for detecting U-Cd, urinary creatinine (U-cre), ß2-microglobulin (ß2-MG), α1-microglobulin (α1-MG), metallothionein (MT), retinol binding protein (RBP), albumin (AB), N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1). Spearman's rank correlation was carried out to assess pairwise bivariate associations between continuous variables. Three different models of multiple linear regression (the cre-corrected, un-corrected and cre-adjusted model) were used to model the dose-response relationships between U-Cd and nine urine markers. RESULTS: Spearman's rank correlation showed that NAG, ALP, RBP, ß2-MG and MT were significantly associated with U-Cd for both cre-corrected and observed data. Generally, NAG correlated best with U-Cd among the nine biomarkers studied, followed by ALP and MT. In the un-corrected model and cre-adjusted model, the regression coefficients and R² of nine biomarkers were larger than the corresponding values in the cre-corrected model, indicating that the use of observed data was better for investigating the relationship between biomarkers and U-Cd than cre-corrected data. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that NAG, MT and ALP in urine were better biomarkers for long-term environmental cadmium exposure assessment among the nine biomarkers studied. Further, data without normalization with creatinine show better relationships between cadmium exposure and renal dysfunction.

Urinary excretion of brush-border enzymes of the proximal renal tubules in pregnant women with hypertensive disorders.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to evaluate urinary excretion of three brush border enzymes: gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminopeptidase, and leucyl aminopeptidase in pregnant women with various types of hypertensive disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 120 pregnant women, further subdivided into four groups: 41 women at ≥ 20 weeks gestation with gestational hypertension, 28 women > 20 weeks of pregnancy with preeclampsia, 21 women with chronic hypertension identified > 20 weeks of pregnancy and 30 healthy pregnant controls. RESULTS: No significant differences in urinary levels of all three of the brush border enzymes were found between the groups. Also, there was no correlation between enzyme concentration in the urine and blood pressure values in any of the analyzed groups of pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results suggest no damage to the brush border of the proximal kidney tubules in the early stages of disorders associated with increased blood pressure during pregnancy.

Renal biomarkers of male and female Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) undergoing renal ischemia and reperfusion.

PURPOSE: To investigate biomarkers of acute renal injury in Wistar rats, subjected to left renal ischemia for 10 minutes, and then compare reperfusion at 24 hours, and at 5, 7, 14 and 21 days after the procedure. METHODS: Eight female and male rats between 60 and 81 days old were used in the Central Animal Facility of the UFMS. Assessed biomarkers included urine protein, urea, creatinine, glucose, sodium, potassium, urine alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities, and protein-to-creatinine ratio; and in serum: urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium, fractional excretion of sodium, potassium, urine flow and creatinine clearance. RESULTS: Greater variance was observed in the parameters at 24 hours and at five days (p<0.05) after reperfusion. On the 21st day, these parameters approximated those obtained for the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Renal ischemia for 10 minutes was sufficient to raise urine levels of protein, glucose, fractional excretion of potassium, urea, creatinine clearance, urine activity of gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes in the first 24 hours, up to five days after reperfusion, which may indicate risk of acute kidney injury, according to the RIFLE classification.

Renal biomarkers of male and female Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) undergoing renal ischemia and reperfusion

PURPOSE: To investigate biomarkers of acute renal injury in Wistar rats, subjected to left renal ischemia for 10 minutes, and then compare reperfusion at 24 hours, and at 5, 7, 14 and 21 days after the procedure. METHODS: Eight female and male rats between 60 and 81 days old were used in the Central Animal Facility of the UFMS. Assessed biomarkers included urine protein, urea, creatinine, glucose, sodium, potassium, urine alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities, and protein-to-creatinine ratio; and in serum: urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium, fractional excretion of sodium, potassium, urine flow and creatinine clearance. RESULTS: Greater variance was observed in the parameters at 24 hours and at five days (p<0.05) after reperfusion. On the 21st day, these parameters approximated those obtained for the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Renal ischemia for 10 minutes was sufficient to raise urine levels of protein, glucose, fractional excretion of potassium, urea, creatinine clearance, urine activity of gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes in the first 24 hours, up to five days after reperfusion, which may indicate risk of acute kidney injury, according to the RIFLE classification. .