Renoprotective effect of crocin following liver ischemia/ reperfusion injury in Wistar rats

OBJECTIVE(S): The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the effects of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury on the activity of antioxidant enzymes, biochemical factors, and histopathological changes in rat kidney, and to investigate the effect of crocin on IR-related changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups (n=8). They were sham-operated, IR, crocin pre-treatment, and crocin pretreatment+IR groups. Sham-operated and Crocin pre-treatment groups received normal saline (N/S, 2 ml/day) and crocin (200 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days intraperitoneally (IP), respectively, then rats underwent laparotomy, only. IR and crocin pretreatment+IR groups received N/S and crocin with the same dose, time, and route, respectively, then rats underwent partial (70%) ischemia for 45 min that was followed by reperfusion for 60 min. At the end of the experiment, kidney specimens were taken for histopathological and antioxidant evaluations and also blood samples were obtained for biochemical analysis. RESULTS: The results of the present study showed that crocin pre-treatment significantly increased the activity of antioxidants, decreased the serum levels of liver enzymes and blood urea nitrogen following IR-induced hepatic injury. Crocin also ameliorated kidney’s histopathological disturbance beyond IR-induced hepatic injury. CONCLUSION: Crocin as an antioxidant agent protected renal insult following liver IR injury by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, reducing serum levels of liver enzymes, and improving histopathological changes.