Effect of sodium thiosulfate pre-treatment on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury
Abstract
Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for end-stage renal disease but is challenged by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). We recently showed that adding sodium thiosulfate (STS), a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donor, during organ storage protects against IRI. However, pre-treating the transplant donor with STS may further suppress IRI by establishing a protective environment in the kidney before ischemia. We hypothesized that STS pre-treatment would protect renal grafts against transplantation-induced IRI by suppressing oxidative stress, cell death, and inflammation, thereby improving graft function. STS pre-treatment reduced cell death in an in vitro model of hypoxia-reoxygenation injury. In a rat model of kidney transplantation, STS pre-treatment reduced graft apoptosis, acute tubular necrosis, and neutrophil inflammation, which may be due to reduced oxidative stress. Our results suggest that STS pre-treatment may protect against IRI induced by kidney transplantation, warranting future study.