Synergy of zinc oxide nanoparticles to losartan attenuates kidney injury induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction through modulation of the TNF-α/IL6 and BAX/BCL2 signaling pathways

Although the relief of ureteral obstruction seems to be a radical treatment for obstructive uropathy (OU), progressive kidney damage is the result because of the associated increased apoptosis and fibrosis. Therefore, it is urgent to find a complementary renoprotective therapy against partially obstructed uropathy cascades. Thus, this study investigated the renoprotective effects of both losartan (LOS) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in partial unilateral ureteral obstruction (PUUO). In controlled (n = 16) and shamed (n = 16) study, 64 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, both PUUO and right nephrectomy (RNX) were induced. The rats were equally allocated into four groups according to treatment protocol: (1) PUUO group (no treatment), (2) ZnONPs group, (3) LOS group and (4) ZnONPs/LOS group. Antioxidant status and gene expression were assessed in renal tissues. Moreover, histologic and immunohistochemical examinations were performed. LOS and ZnONPs significantly mitigated the PUUO-induced renal injury, by significant (P