Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Donor preconditioning with taurine protects kidney grafts from injury after experimental transplantation.

Guan X, Dei-Anane G, Liang R, Gross ML, Nickkholgh A, Kern M, Ludwig J, Zeier M, Büchler MW, Schmidt J, Schemmer P

Department of General Surgery, Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia/reperfusion injury is a major problem in clinical transplantation (Tx). Taurine has been shown to protect liver grafts from ischemia/reperfusion injury after Tx. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate its effect on kidney grafts after transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various concentrations of taurine were infused before donor nephrectomy (1.5 mL; 30, 100, 300 mM). Controls were given the same volume of Ringers' solution. Subsequently, grafts were cold-stored for 19 h in histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution and transplanted. Six hours after Tx, graft function and injury were assessed with blood urea nitrogen/creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase/lactate dehydrogenase. Graft biopsies were taken to evaluate tubular damage, caspase-3, superoxide dismutase, and heat shock protein 72 (HSP-72) to index necrosis, apoptosis, antioxidative capacity, and regeneration, respectively. RESULTS: Taurine significantly decreased blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase in a dose-dependent manner to up to 71%, 69%, 51%, and 53% of controls, respectively. Further, tubular damage and caspase-3 expression decreased to 44% and 18% of control values (P < 0.01), while superoxide dismutase and heat shock protein 72 expression increased by 95% and 77% of controls, respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that donor preconditioning with taurine protects kidney grafts from injury (apoptosis, necrosis), improves graft function, and increases the regenerative potential most likely via mechanisms including antioxidation.

Published 4 April 2008 in J Surg Res, 146(1): 127-34.
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