Carvacrol attenuated acute renal injury induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction in male rats.

OBJECTIVES: Three-day unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) leads to acute renal injury. Carvacrol regulates inflammatory factors and reduces oxidative stress and apoptosis. Therefore, we are assessing the renoprotective effect of carvacrol against 3-day UUO in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six male rats were randomized into six groups (n=6): control, carvacrol (100 mg/kg, IP), UUO, and UUO+carvacrol (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg). UUO was induced by ligating the left ureter for 3 days. Carvacrol was administered intraperitoneally once daily for three consecutive days, starting one hour after UUO induction. After treatment, hemodynamic parameters including mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal perfusion pressure (RPP), renal blood flow (RBF), and renal vascular resistance (RVR) were measured. Kidney function markers such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine were assessed. Oxidative stress and anti-oxidant status were evaluated by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC) in kidney tissue. Western blot analysis determined expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear transcription factor p65 (NF-κB p65). Renal damage score (RDS) was surveyed by the hematoxylin and eosin method. RESULTS: UUO significantly raised RVR, RDS, and MDA, serum creatinine, cleaved caspase-3, BUN, NF-κB p65, Bax, TNF-α protein levels (P<0.05), and also reduced RBF, TAC, GPx, SOD, and Bcl-2 protein expression (P<0.05) in left renal tissue, and carvacrol (100 mg/kg) could significantly mitigate the changes affected by UUO. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that carvacrol protects against UUO-induced renal injury through its potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties.