Lysophosphatidic acid and lovastatin might protect kidney in renal I/R injury by downregulating MCP-1 in rat.

Abstract Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major cause of renal failure. The aim of our study is to explore the role of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and lovastatin on renal I/R injury and its mechanism in the rat. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group; renal I/R for 0 h, 4 h, 12 h, and 24 h groups; LPA treatment group; and lovastatin treatment group (n = 10). Rats were killed to determine the level of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in renal tissue, renal function [serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)], and renal histomorphology to evaluate the effectiveness of LPA and lovastatin. Normal renal tissue had a low level of MCP-1. The level of MCP-1 began to rise at 0 h after reperfusion, reached peak value at 4 h, and then gradually fell off. Compared with sham-operated group, MCP-1 was increased in all renal I/R injury groups (p < 0.01). With the extension of reperfusion, Cr and BUN were significantly increased (p < 0.01). There were damages in kidney tubules, renal interstitium, and kidney glomerulus in renal I/R injury groups. Paller's score was significantly increased in all renal I/R injury groups compared with sham-operated group (p < 0.01). LPA and lovastatin reduced the level of MCP-1, Cr, BUN, and damages of renal histomorphology (p < 0.01). The level of MCP-1 in renal tissue dynamically increases in renal I/R injury, indicating that MCP-1 is involved in renal I/R injury. LPA and lovastatin might protect renal function by downregulating MCP-1 in renal I/R injury.