"Exosomal therapy: a promising approach to alleviate renal dysfunction induced by hypoxia in neonatal seizures"

Abstract

Kidney damage represents a significant global health concern, influenced by various factors including oxygen imbalance. Mesenchymal stem cell exosomes have shown promise in modulating inflammatory cytokines, which may help in preventing or alleviating damage associated with inflammatory processes. A total of 50 Wistar rats were divided into control, exposure to a hypoxia, hypoxia plus saline injection, hypoxia plus exosome, and sham + exosome groups. At the end of experiment, kidney function biomarkers, antioxidant enzyme levels, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and concentrations of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as gene expression, were assessed across all groups. The findings of this study indicated that hypoxia-induced nephropathy (HINS) leads to kidney damage, evidenced by a reduction in kidney biomarkers, an elevation in MDA levels, and a decrease in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) concentrations when compared to the control group. Additionally, inflammation markers were found to be elevated in HINS rats relative to the control group. In the groups treated with exosomes, there was a significant reduction in MDA levels and a notable increase in antioxidant levels compared to the untreated HINS group. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were markedly elevated in HINS rats, whereas exosome treatment resulted in a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines when compared to the HINS group. The results of this study provide evidence that oxidative stress induced by hypoxia contributes to chronic kidney disorders. Furthermore, the findings suggest that exosome therapy may serve as a viable future treatment approach for enhancing kidney function.

Keywords: Exosome; Hypoxia; Inflammation; Kidney; Oxidative stress; Seizures.