Abstract
Introduction: Quercetin, a polyphenolic compound, exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in oxidative stress conditions.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether quercetin pretreatment could alleviate oxidative stress and hepatorenal dysfunction in rats exposed to renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury.
Materials and Methods: This experimental study employed an animal model with a post-test-only control group design. Thirty male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 10): control (vehicle); IR, which received the vehicle and underwent IR; and quercetin-pretreated group (IR + Quercetin), which was pretreated with quercetin (50 mg/kg/day) prior to IR induction. The rats were orally pretreated with either vehicle or quercetin for 15 consecutive days prior to IR exposure. To induce kidney ischemia, both kidney pedicles were compressed using atraumatic clamps (45 min), and reperfusion (24 h) was initiated by removing the clamps.
Results: Serum levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, urea, and creatinine, as well as the activities of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), were markedly reduced in the IR + Quercetin group compared to the IR group. The concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly increased in the IR + Quercetin group compared to the IR group. In rats exposed to IR, quercetin pretreatment significantly decreased malondialdehyde concentrations and promoted glutathione contents as well as catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in serum, renal, and hepatic samples compared to the IR group.
Conclusion: Quercetin pretreatment exerted protective effects against hepatorenal dysfunction and oxidative stress in rats subjected to kidney IR injury.