Estrogen Protects against Oxidative Multiorgan Damage in Rats with Chronic Renal Failure

Figures & data

Table 1  Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and TNF-α levels in the experimental groups

	Male			Female
		CRF			CRF
						OVX
	Sham-operated	Sham-operated	Vehicle-treated	Vehicle-treated	Estradiol-treated	Vehicle-treated	Estradiol-treated
BUN (mg/dL)	31 ± 1.2	64.5 ± 2.8	60 ± 11	39 ± 3.2	61.5 ± 2.7	67.3 ± 2.9^&	67.3 ± 1.5
Creatinine (mg/dL)	0.4 ± 0.1	0.6 ± 0.01	0.6 ± 0.08	0.5 ± 0.1	0.6 ± 0.01	0.7 ± 0.06	0.6 ± 0.01
TNF-α (pg/mL)	3.2 ± 0.6	8.2 ± 1.1^†	4.7 ± 0.4^||	4.6 ± 1.4	7.6 ± 0.8	13.2 ± 0.8^#	7.4 ± 0.4^§

For each group, n = 8.

*p < 0.05, †p < 0.01, ‡p < 0.001, compared to corresponding sham-operated control group.

^§p < 0.05, ||p < 0.01, compared to corresponding vehicle-treated CRF group.

^#p < 0.01, compared to CRF group with OVX.

Abbreviations: CRF = chronic renal failure, OVX = ovariectomy.

Figure 1.  Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the kidney, heart, lung, brain, ileum, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle tissues. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, compared to corresponding control group. ⁺p < 0.05, ⁺⁺p < 0.01, ⁺⁺⁺p < 0.001, compared to corresponding CRF group. ^&p < 0.05, ^&&p < 0.01, compared to ovariectomized (OVX) CRF group.

Figure 2.  Gluthatione (GSH) levels in the kidney, heart, lung, brain, ileum, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle tissues. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, compared to corresponding control group. ⁺p < 0.05, ⁺⁺p < 0.01, ⁺⁺⁺p < 0.001, compared to corresponding CRF group. ^&p < 0.05, ^&&p < 0.01, ^&&&p < 0.001, compared to ovariectomized (OVX) CRF group.

Figure 3.  Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the kidney, heart, lung, brain, ileum, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle tissues. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, compared to corresponding control group. ⁺p < 0.05, ⁺⁺p < 0.01, ⁺⁺⁺p < 0.001, compared to corresponding CRF group. ^&&p < 0.01, ^&&&p < 0.001, compared to ovariectomized (OVX) CRF group.

Figure 4.  Lucigenin chemiluminescence levels as indicators of O₂ formation in the kidney, heart, lung, brain, ileum, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle tissues. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, compared to corresponding control group. ⁺p < 0.05, ⁺⁺p < 0.01, ⁺⁺⁺p < 0.001, compared to corresponding CRF group. ^&p < 0.05, ^&&p < 0.01, ^&&&p < 0.001, compared to ovariectomized (OVX) CRF group.

Figure 5.  Collagen measurements in the kidney, heart, lung, brain, ileum, liver, and gastrocnemius muscle tissues. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, compared to corresponding control group. ⁺⁺p < 0.01, ⁺⁺⁺p < 0.001, compared to corresponding CRF group. ^&p < 0.05, ^&&p < 0.01, ^&&&p < 0.001, compared to ovariectomized (OVX) CRF group.

Figure 6.  Kidney (first row): A. Control group: regular morphology with glomerulus (arrow) and tubules (*). B. CRF male group: deterioration in tubules (*) and glomeruli (arrows), interstitial edema. C. CRF female group: tubular (*) and glomerular (arrow) degeneration, intersitial edema (arrowhead). D. CRF + OVX + vehicle group: severe interstitial edema, degenerated glomeruli (arrows) and tubuli (*). E. CRF+ E₂ male group: reduced but ongoing congestion (arrow); note the decreased interstitial edema. F. CRF + OVX+ E₂ group: regeneration of the glomeruli (arrows) and tubuli (*); interstitial edema was decreased but still present (arrow head). Cardiac muscle (second row): A. Control group: regular alignment of cardiac muscle (arrow). B. CRF male group: severe congestion (**) among muscle fibers and edema of connective tissue (arrowhead). C. CRF female group: moderate congestion among muscle fibers (**). D. CRF + OVX + vehicle group: severe congestion among muscle fibers (arrows), interstitial edema. E. CRF + E₂ male group: reduced congestion (**) and edema; note the regularity of fibers. F. CRF + OVX+ E₂ group: minimal congestion among muscle fibers (**); note the loss of interstitial edema. Lung (third row): A. Control group: regular bronchial (arrow) and alveolar (*) morphology. B. CRF male group: dense edema and inflammation in interstitium (**), deteriorated alveoli (arrows). C. CRF female group: edema in parenchyme and alveolar degeneration (**) less severe than group B. D. CRF + OVX + vehicle group: severe interstial edema an inflammation (*) and constricted alveoli (a). E. CRF + E₂ male group: regeneration of alveoli, moderate congestion and inflammation (**). F. CRF + OVX + E₂ group: reconstitution of alveoli and mild congestion (**). Brain (third row): A. Control group: regular morphology with neurons and glial cells (arrow), scattered capillaries (*). B. CRF male group: increased density of capillaries (*), pericellular dilations (arrows). C. CRF female group: capillaries (*) and pericellular dilations present but less (arrow). D. CRF + OVX + vehicle group: increase in capillaries (*) and glial cells (arrows), E. CRF + E₂ male group: reduction in capillar density (*) but pericellular dilations present (arrows). F. CRF + OVX + E₂ group: reduction in capillar density (*) and pericellular dilations of neurons (arrowhead) and glial cells (arrows). Ileum (fourth row): A. Control group: regular ileal epithelium (arrows). B. CRF male group: severe desquamation of the villi (arrows) and inflammation in the lamina propria (arrowhead). C. CRF female group: moderate desquamation of the villi (arrow) and dilation of intestinal gland (arrowhead). D. CRF + OVX + vehicle group: severe desquamation of the villi (arrow) and dilation of the intestinal glands (*). E. CRF + E₂ male group: regeneration of the villi morphology (arrows) and inflammatory cells in the lamina propria (arrowhead). F. CRF + OVX + E₂ group: prominent regeneration of the epithelium (arrows) and some inflammatory cells in the lamina propria. Liver (fifth row): A. Control group: central vein (**) and radiating hepatic sinusoids. B. CRF male group: dilation of the central vein (**), congestion, interstitial edema (arrow) and degenerated sinusoids (arrowheads). C. CRF female group: minimal congestion in central vein (**) dilation of sinusoids (arrows). D. CRF + OVX + vehicle group: prominent congestion and dilation of sinusoids (arrows), interstitial edema (arrowhead), congestion of central vein(inset: **). E. CRF + E₂ male group: reconstitution of central vein (**), mild congestion in sinusoids (arrows). F. CRF + OVX + E₂ group: regenerated central vein (**) and sinusoid (arrows) morphology, mild inflammation at the periphery of hepatic canal. Skeletal muscle (last row): A. Control group: regular alignment of muscle fibers and connective tissue (*) among them. B. CRF male group: congestion among muscle fibers (*) and dilation of endomysium (arrowheads). C. CRF female group: minimal congestion (*) in the connective tissue, but moderate deterioration of general morphology. D. CRF + OVX + vehicle group: dilation in connective tissue (*);note detachments in the muscle fibers. E. CRF+ E₂ male group: cross-section of muscle bundle; note the regular morphology (arrow) and minimal congestion (*). F. CRF + OVX + E₂ group: ongoing congestion (*) among muscle fibers; note the regular alignment of muscle fibers (arrow). HE: ×200, inset: ×400.