Anwulignan Attenuates Remote Renal Injury Induced by Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats

Aim: Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (II/R) can cause injury of remote organs, including acute renal injury. All of these, in turn, increase the rate of disability and mortality. Anwulignan (Anwu) is an active monomer from Schisandra sphenanthera, which has been used for thousands of years in China as a medical herb. In our previous study, we found that Anwu can improve the intestinal function after ischemia/reperfusion. Therefore, we were curious to know if Anwu can have a protective effect on remote organ injury after II/R. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of Anwu on the remote renal injury induced by II/R in rats and investigate its mechanism. Materials and Methods: Forty Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups, and they were sham operation (Sham), sham + Anwu, II/R, and II/R + Anwu groups. After reperfusion or sham operation, blood and kidneys were collected from the rats for the detection of relative biochemical parameters. Results: Renal indexes were not significantly different among all groups. In the II/R group the following were the findings: blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were increased, kidney injury score was increased, renal superoxide dismutase was reduced, the activities of reduced glutathione and catalase were decreased, the renal malondialdehyde content was increased, there was an improvement in the levels of renal proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin‑6, tumor necrosis factor‑α, and interleukin‑1β, the expressions of renal oxidative stress‑related p‑Nrf2 and heme oxygenase (decycling) 1 (HO‑1) were decreased, and the Kelch‑like ECH‑associated protein 1 (Keap1) expression was increased. The expression levels of the apoptotic protein, cleaved caspase‑3, were raised, while the B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2‑associated x protein (Bax) ratio was reduced. However, the administration of Anwu before the surgery significantly reversed the above changes. Conclusion: Anwu has a protective effect against the II/R‑induced remote renal injury in rats, which may be related to its regulation of antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory, and antiapoptotic pathways.