Effect of dexmedetomidine on pyroptosis in mice with acute renal injury induced by endotoxin and the relationship with miRNA-223-3p / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on pyroptosis in mice with acute renal injury induced by endotoxin and the relationship with miRNA-223-3p.Methods:Thirty-two clean-grade healthy male ICR mice, aged 8-12 weeks, weighing 20-25 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=8 each) using the random number table method: control group (group C), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group (group L), LPS plus dexmedetomidine group (group LD), and LPS plus dexmedetomidine plus atipamezole group (group LDT). The model of acute renal injury induced by endotoxin was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS 400 μg/kg, followed by intraperitoneal injection of LPS 10 mg/kg 8 h later.Dexmedetomidine 40 μg/kg was intraperitoneally injected once every 2 h for 3 times in total starting from 30 min after establishing the model in group LD.Atipamezole 750 μg/kg was intraperitoneally injected immediately after establishing the model, and 30 min later dexmedetomidine 40 μg/kg was intraperitoneally injected once every 2 h for 3 times in total in group LDT.The equal volume of normal saline was intraperitoneally injected in group C. Blood samples were collected from the heart at 24 h after establishing the model, and serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations were measured with an automatic biochemical analyzer.The animals were sacrificed and the left kidney tissues were obtained for microscopic examination of pathological changes after HE staining (with a light microscope) and for determination of the expression of caspase-1 p20, NOD-like receptor thermoprotein structural domain-related protein 3 (NLRP3) and ASC protein and mRNA (by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot), contents of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and IL-18 (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and rate of pyroptosis in renal cortical cells (by TUNEL). Results:Compared with group C, the concentrations of serum Cr and BUN were significantly increased, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 p20 and ASC protein and mRNA in the renal tissues was up-regulated, the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were increased, the rate of pyroptosis in renal cortical cells was increased ( P<0.05), no significant change was found in the expression of miRNA-223-3p ( P>0.05), and pathological changes of kidney were accentuated in group L. Compared with group L, the concentrations of serum Cr and BUN were significantly decreased, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 p20 and ASC protein and mRNA in the renal tissues was down-regulated, the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were decreased, the rate of pyroptosis in renal cortical cells was decreased, the expression of miRNA-223-3p was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and pathological changes of kidney were attenuated in group LD.Compared with group LD, the concentrations of serum Cr and BUN were significantly increased, the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were increased, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 p20 and ASC protein and mRNA in the renal tissues was up-regulated, the rate of pyroptosis in renal cortical cells was increased, the expression of miRNA-223-3p was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological changes of kidney were accentuated in group LDT. Conclusion:The mechanism by which dexmedetomidine reduces acute renal injury may be related to up-regulating the expression of miRNA-223-3p and inhibiting pyroptosis in mice.