Adrenomedullin Increases Renal Nitric Oxide Production and Ameliorates Renal Injury in Mice With Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

Purpose: We evaluated the effects of adrenomedullin (Peptide Institute, Minoh-shi, Osaka, Japan) on mediators, including nitric oxide and transforming growth factor-β, and parameters of renal injury in a murine unilateral ureteral obstruction model.Materials and Methods: Three study groups of control, adrenomedullin treated and adrenomedullin plus L-NAME treated BALB/C mice, respectively, underwent left unilateral ureteral obstruction. A 24-hour urine sample was collected to measure urinary NO2/NO3 1 day before unilateral ureteral obstruction and kidneys were harvested on postoperative day 14. Tubulointerstitial damage markers were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Tissue transforming growth factor-β was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase immunolocalization was also determined.Results: Urinary NO2/NO3 was significantly higher in the adrenomedullin group than in controls, confirming increased renal nitric oxide production. Immunohistochemistry ...