Abstract: Aim To investigate whether vitamin E could protect the function of remnant kidney in chronic renal failure (CRF)rats.Methods The 120 adult male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups. Rats in group A received a sham operation serving as the negative control. Rats in group B were given a 5/6 nephrectomy serving as the positive control. Rats in group C were operated as the rats in group B and received treatment of vitamin E in their chow. The renal function and oxygen free radical metabolism of every group were assayed with the biochemical methods 30, 60, 90, 120 days after the operation. Results In group B, there were a marked increase of plasma creatinine, urea concentration, urine protein concentration, mean arterial blood pressure, and renal tissue lipid peroxide concentration, and a significant decrease of hemoglobin content, hematocrit, re-nal tissue vitamin E content, renal tissue superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, as com-pared with those in group A. In group C accompanied with the decrease of renal lipid peroxide, and increase of renal vitamin E content, tenal superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, all the indices of renal function became better than those is group B. Conclusion Vitamin E could protect the function of remnant kidney in 5/6 nephrectomy induced CRF rats, which might due to its antioxidant roles.

Key words: kidney failure ;rat ;vitamin E ;renal function