Figure 8

The severity of acute tubular injury (ATI) and renal function before ischemia (C) and 24 h after 60 min ischemia in MMP-2^+/+ mice (WT), MMP-2^−/− mice (KO), MMP-2^+/+ mice treated with inhibitors of MMPs, minocycline (+M) and synthetic MMP-2/MMP-9 inhibitor (+P). The development of ATI, which was determined by tubular damage score and TUNEL+tubular epithelial cells at 24 h after reperfusion, was inhibited in MMP-2^−/− mice or by the treatment of minocycline and synthetic MMP-2/MMP-9 inhibitor. Renal dysfunction (BUN and serum Cr) at 24 h after reperfusion was also prevented in MMP-2^−/− mice or by the treatment of minocycline and synthetic MMP-2/MMP-9 inhibitor. The degree of tubular damage score, the number of TUNEL+ tubular epithelial cells, and levels of serum Cr and BUN seemed to be lower in both MMP inhibitors than in MMP-2^−/− mice. Data are mean±s.d. of n=5 mice per group. ^*P<0.05, ^**P<0.01.