Effects of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) on a Model of Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion in Rats

PLoS One. 2016 Aug 23;11(8):e0160703. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160703. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury is a major cause of acute renal failure, causing renal cell death, a permanent decrease of renal blood flow, organ dysfunction and chronic kidney disease. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous product rich in growth factors, and therefore able to promote tissue regeneration and angiogenesis. This product has proven its efficacy in multiple studies, but has not yet been tested on kidney tissue. The aim of this work is to evaluate whether the application of PRP to rat kidneys undergoing ischemia-reperfusion reduces mid-term kidney damage. A total of 30 monorrenal Sprague-Dawley male rats underwent renal ischemia-reperfusion for 45 minutes. During ischemia, PRP (PRP Group, n = 15) or saline solution (SALINE Group, n = 15) was administered by subcapsular renal injection. Control kidneys were the contralateral organs removed immediately before the start of ischemia in the remaining kidneys. Survival, body weight, renal blood flow on Doppler ultrasound, kidney weight, kidney volume, blood biochemistry and histopathology were determined for all subjects and kidneys, as applicable. Correlations between these variables were searched for. The PRP Group showed significantly worse kidney blood flow (p = 0.045) and more histopathological damage (p<0.0001). Correlations were found between body weight, kidney volume, kidney weight, renal blood flow, histology, and serum levels of creatinine and urea. Our study provides the first evidence that treatment with PRP results in the deterioration of the kidney's response to ischemia-reperfusion injury.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / blood
  • Acute Kidney Injury / drug therapy
  • Acute Kidney Injury / pathology
  • Animals
  • Blood Urea Nitrogen
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Kidney / drug effects*
  • Kidney / injuries
  • Kidney / physiopathology
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects*
  • Platelet-Rich Plasma*
  • Rats
  • Regeneration / drug effects
  • Renal Circulation / drug effects
  • Reperfusion Injury / drug therapy*
  • Reperfusion Injury / physiopathology

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.