| Objective To investigate the relationship between the blood levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) at different time points and the degree of acute kidney injury (AKI).Methods 200 six-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups according to their body mass. The rats in the sham operation group were exposed only the renal artery, but the rats in the other 3 groups were exposed and clamped the renal artery for 30 min, 45 min and 60 min, respectively, so as to prepare mild, moderate and severe rat models of renal injury. The serum levels of NGAL and creatinine (Cr) were determined in each group at 0, 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours after the renal injury. Results The AKI rat models in different degree were successfully established and a variety of pathological changes were observed in different degree models. There was no significant difference in the Cr level among the four groups at time points of 0, 2, 6 and 12 hours (P>0.05), but there was significant difference in the Cr level among them at time point of 24 hours (P<0.01), and the Cr level in the severe injury group was the highest (P<0.05). The blood levels of NGAL at time points of 0, 12 and 24 hours were not significantly different among the four groups (P>0.05), but the NGAL level at time point of 2 hours among them was significantly different (P<0.05), and there also were significant difference when the NGAL level in the moderate or severe injury group compared with that in the sham operation group (all P<0.05). Similarly, the NGAL level at time point of 6 hours among them was significantly different (P<0.05), and when compared with the sham operation group, the severe injury group was also significant different (P<0.01). Conclusion The NGAL level would be much valuable for the early diagnosis of AKI and its expression level is associated with the injury degree. |
