Submitted on May 18, 2007
Accepted on August 6, 2007
Renoprotective and antihypertensive effects of S-allylcysteine in 5/6 nephrectomized rats
Cristino Cruz1, Ricardo Correa-Rotter1, Dolores J Sanchez-Gonzalez2, Rogelio Hernandez-Pando3, Perla D Maldonado4, Claudia M Martinez-Martinez2, Omar N Medina-Campos5, Edilia Tapia6, Diana Aguilar7, Yolanda I Chirino8, and Jose Pedraza-Chaverri9*
1 Nefrologia y Metabolismo Mineral, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
2 Biologia Celular, Escuela Medico Militar, Universidad del Ejercito y Fuerza Aerea, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
3 Patologia Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion "Salvador Zubiran", Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico; Patologia Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion "Salvador Zubiran", Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico
4 Laboratorio de Patologia Vascular Cerebral, Instituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia Manuel Velasco Suarez, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
5 Biologia, Facultad de Quimica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
6 Nephrology, Instituto Nacionalde Cardiologia, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
7 Patologia Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion "Salvador Zubiran", Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico
8 Biologia, Facultad de Quimica, UNAM, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
9 Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, DF, Mexico
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pedraza{at}servidor.unam.mx.
Progressive renal damage and hypertension are associated with oxidative and nitrosative stress. On the other hand, S-allylcysteine (SAC), the most abundant organosulfur compound in aged garlic extract (AG), has antioxidant properties. The effect of SAC and AG on blood pressure, renal damage and oxidative and nitrosative stress in 5/6 nephrectomized rats were studied. SAC (200 mg/kg) and AG (1.2 mL/kg) were given i.p. every other day by 30 days. Proteinuria and serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were measured on 0, 5, 10, 15, and 30 days and systolic blood pressure was recorded on days 0, 15 and 30. The degree of glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial damage, the immunostaining for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), poly(ADP-ribose) (pADPR) and the subunits of NADPH oxidase p22phox and gp91phox, and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were performed on day 30. SAC and AG were able to reduce hypertension, renal damage, and the abundance of iNOS, 3-NT, p22phox, gp91phox and pADPR and to increase SOD activity. Our data suggest that the antihypertensive and renoprotective effects of SAC and AG are associated with their antioxidant properties and they may be used to ameliorate hypertension and to delay the progression of renal damage.
