We tested the hypothesis that ethanol consumption would aggravate the renal damage induced by cyclophosphamide (CYP). Male C57BL/6J mice from control (n=8) and CYP (n=12) groups had free access to filtered water and standard rodent chow for 12 weeks. Then, 24 h before euthanasia mice received an intraperitoneal injection of saline or CYP (300 mg/kg). Mice from ethanol (n=8) and CYP + ethanol (n=12) groups had free access to increasing doses of ethanol for 12 weeks. Twenty four hours before euthanasia, mice from ethanol and CYP + ethanol groups received an intraperitoneal injection of saline or CYP, respectively. Ethanol, CYP or the association of both drugs augmented serum levels of creatinine and increased the levels of superoxide (O2•-) generation and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the renal cortex. Up-regulation of Nox4 and increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected in the renal cortex of mice treated with ethanol, CYP or the combination of these drugs. However, these molecular alterations induced by CYP were not potentiated by ethanol consumption. Our findings revealed that chronic ethanol consumption had no potentiating effect on the nephrotoxic effects displayed by CYP. It is possible that the combination of these drugs showed no synergistic effect because they share the same molecular mechanisms of renal toxicity.

No abstract

No abstract

Oxidative stress is pointed out as a major mechanism by which ethanol induces functional and structural changes in distinctive tissues. We evaluated whether ethanol consumption would increase oxidative stress and cause micturition dysfunction. Male C57BL/6J mice were treated with 20% ethanol (v/v) for 10 weeks. Our findings showed that chronic ethanol consumption reduced micturition spots and urinary volume in conscious mice, whereas in anaesthetized animals cystometric analysis revealed reduced basal pressure and increased capacity, threshold pressure, and maximum voiding. Treatment with ethanol reduced the contraction induced by carbachol in isolated bladders. Chronic ethanol consumption increased the levels of oxidant molecules and thiobarbituric acid reactive species in the mouse bladder. Upregulation of Nox2 was detected in the bladder of ethanol-treated mice. Increased activity of both superoxide dismutase and catalase were detected in the mouse bladder after treatment with ethanol. Conversely, decreased levels of reduced glutathione were detected in the bladder of ethanol-treated mice. The present study first demonstrated that chronic ethanol consumption induced micturition dysfunction and that this response was accompanied by increased levels of oxidant molecules in the mousebladder. These findings suggest that ethanol consumption is a risk factor for vesical dysfunction.

We tested the hypothesis that ethanol would aggravate the deleterious effects of sub-lethal cecal ligation and puncture (SL-CLP) sepsis in the cardiorenal system and that inhibition of iNOS would prevent such response. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with ethanol for 12 weeks. One hour before SL-CLP surgery, mice were treated with N6-(1-Iminoethyl)-lysine (L-NIL, 5 mg/kg, i.p), a selective inhibitor of iNOS. A second dose of L-NIL was administered 24 h after SL-CLP surgery. Mice were killed 48 h post-surgery and blood, the renal cortex and left ventricle (LV) were collected for biochemical analysis. L-NIL attenuated the increase in serum creatinine levels induced by ethanol, but not by SL-CLP. Ethanol, but not SL-CLP increased creatine kinase (CK)-MB activity and L-NIL did not prevent this response. In the renal cortex, L-NIL prevented the redox imbalance induced by ethanol and SL-CLP. Inhibition of iNOS also decreased lipoperoxidation induced by ethanol and SL-CLP in the LV. L-NIL prevented the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by ethanol and/or SL-CLP in the cardiorenal system, suggesting that iNOS modulated some of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the deleterious effects of both conditions in the cardiorenal system.