Introduction: Ischemia followed by reperfusion in organ transplantations can lead to ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury, which is associated with oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Alpha-pinene is an organic terpene with well-known antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. This study examines the preventive effects of alpha-pinene against renal I-R-induced kidney dysfunction, oxidative and inflammatory status, apoptosis, and histopathology changes.
Methods: Forty-two adult male Wistar rats weighting 200-250 gr were divided into six groups (n = 7): Control, Right Nephrectomy, Ischemia-Reperfusion (45 min ischemia and 24 h reperfusion), and I-R + three different doses of alpha-pinene (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) 24 hours and just before induction of ischemia through gavage. After 24 hours, urine, serum, and the remaining kidney were collected for biochemical and tissue analysis.
Results: Renal I-R caused kidney damage indicated by a significant decrease in creatinine clearance, induction of oxidative stress, increased inflammatory cytokines, and histopathological injuries. Alpha-pinene significantly improved the damage by restoring the changes toward the control group. Alpha-pinene, in the effective dose (2.5 mg/kg), reduced the levels of Bax, Bcl-2, TNF-α, and IL1β and contributed to regenerating tissue damage following renal I-R.
Conclusions: Aalpha-pinene has been able to reduce the complications due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. It is suggested that it can be used as a pretreatment in reducing renal complications in renal transplantation.