Introduction: Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF- β 1) has a crucial role in collagen synthesis and fibrosis. TGF- β 1 can be antagonized and/or reduced by the action of certain agents. We propose to identify the role of decorin in treatment of tubular and interstitial fibrosis and in the inhibition of TGF- β 1 in an acute ischaemic kidney.
Material and methods: We grouped 34 female Sprague Dawley type rats into 3 groups as 9 sham, 9 ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) and 16 I/R + decorin respectively. The rats in the I/R + decorin group had decorin administered intraperitoneally at the dose of 0.1 mg/kg for 9 days after reperfusion. After 9 days, all the rats in the 3 groups were unilaterally nephrectomized. The TGF- β 1 level was measured immunohistochemically in the nephrectomized material.
Results: The TGF- β 1 level was lower in the I/R + decorin group. Evaluation of apoptotic activity level by caspase staining showed a statistically significant difference between the 3 groups. The number of caspase stained cells was lower in the I/R + decorin group. The amount of collagen in interstitial tissue was higher in the I/R group than in the I/R + decorin group, but this difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusions: We found that the TGF- β 1 level – the so-called initiator of fibrotic activity – and apoptotic activity were low in the I/R + decorin group. Additional studies must be performed to understand the role of decorin in inhibition of TGF- β 1 and to assess decorin’s routine use in acute renal ischaemia.