Effect of riociguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, on rat models of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease

Riociguat is a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator. It has recently been shown to have a renoprotective effect in rats. The aim of this study is to examine if riociguat has a protective effect on kidney function and structure in three different models of renal injury: cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), doxorubicin-induced AKI and adenine-induced chronic kidney damage (CKD). Renal injury will be induced by a single injection of cisplatin (6 mg/kg), doxorubicin (15 mg/kg) and by giving adenine in the feed at a dose of 0.25% w/w for 5 weeks. This study will study the effect of two doses riociguat (3, 10 mg/kg/day) in these models of renal injury. Several physiological, biochemical and histopathological indices will be measured.