THE EFFECTS OF VINPOCETINE ON THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF THE ISCHEMIA / REPERFUSION INJURY: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

LEVENT SAHIN¹, M. EDIZ SARIHAN¹, HAKAN PARLAKPINAR², ALAADIN POLAT³, NIGAR VARDI⁴

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine-²Department of Medical Pharmacology, ³Department of Physiology, ⁴Department of Histology and Embryology, Inonu University Medical Faculty, Malatya, Turkey

Object: Histopathological and biochemical effects of vinpocetine, which is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, on ischemia / reperfusion (I/R) injury were studied in an animal model.

Material and methods: Forty Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups. Group1 underwent only a right nephrectomy. Group 2 was administrated vinpocetine after right nephrectomy. Group 3 initially underwent a right nephrectomy. Them, left kidney of this group was applied ischemia for 60 minutes, which was followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. Group 4 underwent same steps as group 3; but was administrated vinpocetine 10 mg/kg i.p. before I/R to the left kidney. Similarly, group 5 underwent same steps as group 3 but was administrated vinpocetine 10 mg/kg i.p. after I/R to the left kidney.

Results: Plasma BUN and creatinine showed no significant differences between control (Sham) group and groups that were administrated vinpocetine. Decrease in plasma urea and creatinine was detected group 5, but this finding was not present in group 4. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase levels in groups 4 and 5 were significantly higher than the group 3.Parallel to this, oxidative stress index was higher in the group 3compared to groups 2, 4, and 5 (p<0.05). No significant difference was found between levels of malondialdehite in sham and vinpocetine administrated only group (p<0.005).All groups showed no differences in catalase levels and Total Antioxidant Capacity. Decreased tubular injury was present in the groups administrated vinpocetine before and after I/R. In control and vinpocetine given groups, there were some apoptosis in tubules after tested with caspase 3. Caspase 3 positivity was significantly higher in I/R group compared to control group. Vinpocetine if given after I/R was more effective to prevent apoptosis then to be administrated before I/R.

Conclusion: This experimental study showed that vinpocetine promotes achieving better renal functions. The results of this study suggest that vinpocetine may be used in the treatment of renal I/R