Protective Effects of TRPV1 Agonist Capsaicin in Sepsis‐Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Rats

ABSTRACT Transient receptor potential vanilloid‐1 (TRPV1) channels have been shown to be present in many tissues, including the kidney. Previous studies have reported that TRPV1 activation has anti‐inflammatory and renoprotective effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of TRPV1 agonist capsaicin on acute kidney injury (AKI) in a rat sepsis model induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Rats were divided into control, CLP and treatment groups in which 3 different doses of capsaicin (2, 6 and 30 mg/kg) were administered with CLP administration. Kidney tissues and sera from animals 24 h after CLP were analyzed. Histopathological examinations have shown that kidney damage occurs due to sepsis. TLR4/NF‐κB activity, proinflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α), caspase‐3, caspase‐8 and malondialdehyde levels increased in renal tissue due to sepsis. Serum levels of IL‐1β, TNF‐α and renal damage biomarkers (BUN, CRE, IL‐18 and NGAL) increased due to sepsis. Capsaicin administration dose‐dependently reversed sepsis‐induced pathological changes in the kidney and serum. Our findings suggest that the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin has renoprotective effects in sepsis‐induced AKI by reducing inflammation, oxidative damage and apoptosis. TRPV1 activation may be a promising therapeutic strategy to ameliorate sepsis‐induced kidney and other organ damage.