Effect Of Benazepril On Connective Tissue Growth Pactor Expressionin Alcoholic Nephropathy In Rats

Objective: To investigate the renoprotective effect of Associationfor Childhood Education International inhibitor Benazepril in established rat model of alcoholic nephropathy.Methods: Adult Wister rats were randomized into three subgroupsand treated by gavage as follows: l)vehicle (VH, n = 22 ): saline; 2) alcoholic nephropathy (AN, n = 29 ) : alcohol (8g/kg twice per day); 3) AF (n = 24): alcohol plus Benazepril (4mg/kg/d). Rats were sacrificed at 4, 8, 12 weeks, and basic parameters (body weight, kidney weight, AST, ALT, and β₂microglobulin[β₂-MG]) and morphology (microscope, transmission electron microscope, immunohistochemistry) were determined.Results: Compared with the VH-treated rats, rats given alcoholshowed mesangial proliferation, interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, and tubular vacuolation and swelling at 4 weeks. These were more pronounced at 8 and 12 weeks, companied by tubulointerstitial collagen deposition. In addition, AST, ALT, and β₂-MG significantly increased in AN group at 12 weeks. After Benazepril treatment, all above parameters were reversed (P<0.05). At molecular basis, upregulated CTGF expression in tubulointerstitium in AN-treated rat kidneys was significantly downregulated by Benazepril treatment. There were no significant differences on body weight and the ratio of kidney weight and body weight.Conclusion: These findings suggest that Benazepril protectsagainst alcoholic nephropathy by downregulating CTGF expression.