The anti-apoptotic effect of ghrelin in the renal tissue of chronic hypoxic rats

Introduction: Ghrelin is an endogenous peptide that has diverse functions in the body. One of the newly recognized roles of this peptide is its antiapoptotic effect. However, this function has not been investigated in normobaric hypoxia- induced apoptosis in body organs. This study will examine the effect of ghrelin treatment on Bax-Bcl-2 gene expression in the kidney of chronic hypoxic rats. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats in three experimental groups; normal, hypoxic+saline and hypoxic+ghrelin were used in this study. The expression level of Bax and Bcl-2 genes were measured by Real-Time PCR. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was also compared in three groups statistically. Results: Chronic hypoxia decreased the Bcl-2 gene expression (p < 0.01), and increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (p < 0.05). Ghrelin treatment decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio through upregulation of Bcl-2 gene (p < 0.05). Conclusion: It seems that ghrelin has an antiapoptotic effect on the kidney of animals that live in a chronic hypoxic state. Which could potentially introduce a therapeutic role for this peptide.