EXPERIMENTAL PYELONEPHRITIS AND PREVENTING RENAL SCARRING

R Topaloglu, A Bulum, D Ertoy, N Besbas, A Bakkaloglu

Depts. of Pediatric Nephrology and Pathology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of exogenously administered enalapril in preventing renal scarring caused by experimental pyelonephritis in rats. Twenty four male Wistar rats were injected 0,1 ml solution containing E. Coli 08K8H4 (108/ml) into both renal medullae. Eight rats were designed as sham groups and they were given 0,1 ml SF to both kidneys instead of bacteria.

Four groups were formed in equal numbers. Group I and II were treated with 40 ml enalapril solutions at doses of 100mg/lt and 1000mg/lt respectively for 7 days starting at six hours after bacterial inoculation. These two groups of rats were sacrificed 6 weeks after bacterial inoculation..

Group III was Sham group sacrificed at 6 weeks after SF inoculation. The control group (Group IV) was given bacteria containing solution at the same concentration, and not treated with enalapril. They were also sacrificed after bacterial inoculation at 6 weeks. Kidneys from all animals were dissected and examined histopathologically for tubular dilatation, interstitial inflammation, intratubular polymorphonuclear leukocytes, cast and scar formation. Blood samples were taken before sacrificing animals and BUN, creatinine levels were studied.

The percentage of scarred area in kidney tissue was found narrower in high dose (1000mg/lt solution of 40 ml) enalapril group than control group . This difference was statistically significant. BUN and creatinine levels failed to show any significant difference between the groups.

The administration of ACE inhibitor enalapril could have a role in preventing renal scar formation in experimentally induced pyelonephritis in rats.