Effects of theophylline, verapamil, and mannitol on oxygen consumption of ischemic rat kidneys

This study was designed to determine, through the measurement of oxygen consumption (QO2), whether pretreatment and posttreatment with theophylline, verapamil, and mannitol provide protection from damage in the cortex and medulla of rat kidneys subjected to 60 and 120 minutes of ischemia. QO2 levels in both tissues were examined 1 day after each ischemia. After 60 minutes of ischemia, pretreatment with theophylline and verapamil primarily provided protection from ischemic change in cortical QO2. Pretreatment with mannitol provided protection from both cortical and medullary changes in QO2, but posttreatment with mannitol only protected cortical QO2. After 120 minutes of ischemia, only pretreatment with verapamil was effective in protecting cortical QO2 from ischemic injury. These observations demonstrate that theophylline, verapamil, and mannitol are effective in protecting renal QO2 in the ischemic kidney. During this study, it became clear that there were differences in the effectiveness of theophylline and verapamil on QO2 in the ischemic kidney between pretreatment and posttreatment, and also between the cortex and the medulla.