Investigation of risk factors involving in feline chronic kidney disease, oxidative stress and study the effect of Antidesma acidum crude extract in feline kidney cell line

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important disease in feline.  The purposes of the study were to determine the risk factors in cats with naturally occurring CKD, to compare the oxidative stress parameters between the clinically normal client-owned cats and cats with naturally occurring CKD and to investigate the effects of the ethanol crude extract of Antidesma acidum on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene expression in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced feline kidney cell lines.  The study was separated into three parts.  In part I, risk factors in cats with CKD were determined by interviewed two hundred and twenty-two cats’ owners through questionnaires during June 2004 to August 2013.  Data about age, gender, breed, weight, types of food and clinical signs of CKD were obtained.  In part II, thirteen clinically normal client-owned aged-matched cats and twenty-three naturally-occurring CKD cats were included.  Blood collection was performed to measure completed blood count, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and GSH/GSSG ratio.  In part III, feline kidney cell lines were incubated with appropriate dose and time of DOX and A. acidum in pretreatment and post-treatment condition.  Cytotoxicity assay, apoptosis and necrosis assay, oxidative stress parameters, eNOS protein and eNOS gene expression were measured.  The results indicated that aging, diet and lifestyles of CKD cats were potential risk factors for CKD.  Cats with naturally occurring CKD had oxidative stress when compared with age-matched control cats.  Pretreatment with A. acidum can significantly increase eNOS gene and protein expression in DOX-induced feline kidney cell lines.  A. acidum can protect feline kidney cells from CKD by suppressing the oxidative stress and increasing the eNOS gene production.