Water-soluble carbon monoxide-releasing molecules: helping to elucidate the vascular activity of the 'silent killer'.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is formed during the degradation of haeme by haeme oxygenase (HO). As well as being an important signalling molecule and vasodilator, CO also possesses antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic qualities and protects against ischaemic tissue injury. Several approaches have been used to investigate the therapeutic potential of CO, ranging from direct administration of CO gas to the use of prodrugs, which generate CO upon metabolism.

The cyclopentenone prostaglandin 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 ameliorates ischemic acute renal failure.

Objective: Here we investigate the effects of the endogenous prostaglandin D2 metabolite 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2, on the renal dysfunction and injury caused by ischemia/reperfusion of the kidney.

Methods: Male Wistar rats, subjected to bilateral renal ischemia for 45 min followed by reperfusion for up to 48 h, were administered 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (1 mg/kg, intravenously) 5 min prior to and again after 3 or 12 h reperfusion.

Results: 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 significantly reduced (i) renal and tubular dysfunction (serum urea and creatinine levels, creatinine clearance, fractional excretion of Na+ (FENA)), (ii) tubular and reperfusion-injury (urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, aspartate aminotransferase (ASP) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT)) and (iii) histological evidence of renal injury.