Zinc may have an antioxidant effect mediated by induction of metallothionein. Based on the assumption that metallothionein can scavenge oxygen free radicals, we examined whether zinc administration prior to renal ischemia would improve renal dysfunction caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Wistar rats weighing 265 g were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg zinc 24 h prior to the renal ischemia-reperfusion procedure, which was achieved by a 30-min clamping of the bilateral renal vessels and subsequent 90-min reperfusion. Thirty-minute renal clearance tests were performed before and after renal ischemia in zinc- (n = 11) and saline-treated (n = 8) rats. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, conjugated diene, and metallothionein levels in the renal tissues were also determined. Sham-operated rats (n = 5 in each treatment) served as control for the ischemia-reperfusion rats. Ischemia-reperfusion resulted in significantly lower glomerular filtration rate values and marked increases in tissue concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and conjugated diene compared with sham-operation. Zinc administration improved the reduced glomerular filtration rate values seen after the ischemia-reperfusion procedure, but not to the extent of pre-ischemic levels. Zinc pretreatment significantly reduced the increased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and conjugated diene during ischemia-reperfusion and increased metallothionein levels compared with saline injection. These findings suggest that zinc has an antioxidant effect mediated through the induction of metallothionein, but appears only to have a minor protective effect on renal function induced by renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Copyright 1999 S. Karger AG, Basel