Quantitative histochemistry of the nephron. IV. Alkaline phosphatase and lactic dehydrogenase activitis in renal tubular diseases

Studies on the validity of urinary enzyme assay in the diagnosis of drug-induced renal lesions in rats

The validity of urinary enzyme assays in the diagnosis of renal lesions was studied in rats for evaluation in comparison with other tests such as urinalysis and serum biochemical assay. Tubular damages of slight or severe degree were induced by daily intramuscular administration of 500 mg/kg or 1,000 mg/kg of kanamycin (KM) for 7 and 6 days respectively. Glomerular lesions were induced subcutaneous injection of 30 mg/kg of puromycin (PM) for 6 days. The enzymes, assayed daily before and after the onset of administration, were lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), alkaline phosphatase (AI-P), acid phosphatase (Ac-P), leucin aminopeptidase (LAP) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT). The distribution of these enzymic activities in the kidneys was histochemically examined. Assays of LDH and GOT on the kidney tissue homogenate were also conducted. Histological alterations of the kidneys were examined in the rats sacrificed after termination of administration.

Significant elevation of the LDH and GOT urine levels were observed within 24 hours in rats treated with 500 mg/kg of KM with the high enzyme levels being maintained throughout the administration period, while the other enzymes remained within pretreatment levels or were only slightly elevated. Serum urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels remained unchanged with no abnormality being found in the urinalysis of this group. In the group treated with 1,000 mg/ kg of KM, concomitant rising of all urine enzyme levels was observed, with elevation of the LDH and GOT levels being extreme while the BUN and serum creatinine levels rose only at the termination of the administration period. The BUN level rose earlier than did most of the urinary enzymes in puromycin-treated rats.

Depletion of LDH activity was histochemically demonstrated in the kidneys where no histological alteration was observable, while the activities of AI-P, γ-GT, and LAP showed no distinct changes until the tabular destruction became severe. Upon termination of both KM and PM administration, the depletion of LDH and GOT activities was noted in a kidney homogenate assay for the enzymes.

These results clearly showed that among the enzymes studied, the LDH and GOT urine levels are the most sensitive indicators for detecting proximal tubular lesions induced by KM. It was further demonstrated that the urinary enzyme assay in combination with serum BUN measurement is an effective examination for distinguishing tubular from glomerular lesions.

Dietary flaxseed oil supplementation mitigates the effect of lead on the enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, brush border membrane, and oxidative stress in rat kidney tissues

Lead is a heavy metal widely distributed in the environment. Lead is a ubiquitous environmental toxin that is capable of causing numerous acute and chronic illnesses. Human and animal exposure demonstrates that lead is nephrotoxic. However, attempts to reduce lead-induced nephrotoxicity were not found suitable for clinical use. Recently, flaxseed oil (FXO), a rich source of ω-3 fatty acids and lignans, has been shown to prevent/reduce the progression of certain types of cardiovascular and renal disorders. In view of this, the present study investigates the protective effect of FXO on lead acetate (PbAc)-induced renal damage. Rats were pre-fed normal diet and the diet rich in FXO for 14 days, and then, four doses of lead acetate (25 mg/kg body weight) were administered intraperitoneally while still on diet. Various serum parameters, enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, brush border membrane (BBM), and oxidative stress were analyzed in rat kidney. PbAc nephrotoxicity was characterized by increased serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. PbAc increased the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and NADP-malic enzyme, whereas it decreased malate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, and BBM enzyme activities. PbAc caused oxidant/antioxidant imbalances as reflected by increased lipid peroxidation and decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase. In contrast, FXO alone enhanced the enzyme activities of carbohydrate metabolism, BBM, and antioxidant defense system. FXO feeding to PbAc-treated rats markedly enhanced resistance to PbAc-elicited deleterious effects. In conclusion, dietary FXO supplementation ameliorated PbAc-induced specific metabolic alterations and oxidative damage by empowering antioxidant defense mechanism and improving BBM integrity and energy metabolism.

Therapeutic efficacy of lipoic acid in combination with dimercaptosuccinic acid against lead-induced renal tubular defects and on isolated brush-border enzyme activities

The combined therapeutic potentials of lipoic acid and dimercaptosuccinic acid were compared against their sole administrations in restoring the altered lead sensitive indices in urine and isolated renal brush-border preparations. Toxicity was induced in male albino rats (Wistar strain) by administering lead acetate (0.2%) in drinking water for 5 weeks, followed by therapy comprising lipoic acid (25 mg/kg body weight) and dimercaptosuccinic acid (20 mg/kg body weight) solely as well as combined during the 6th week. Changes in kidney weights encountered upon lead administration improved after therapy with lipoic acid and dimercaptosuccinic acid. Renal integrity was assessed by measuring the activities of alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, leucine aminopeptidase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and beta-glucuronidase in urine along with some urinary constituents (urea, uric acid, creatinine, protein and phosphorous). The effects of lead were also studied on isolated brush-border enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and beta-glucuronidase) that showed a decline upon its administration. Increased activities of urinary enzymes were accompanied by increase in the urinary constituents. Increase in renal lead content was paralleled by a drastic fall in the renal delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase and a rise in urinary lead levels. Relative to the administration of lead, the combined therapy showed betterment on the renal integrity with respect to the functional parameters assessed, thereby indicating its efficacy over the monotherapies.