Feasibility Test of Folic Acid on Acute Kidney Injury

In this study, oral folic acid at 5 mg/d (\~83.3 μg/kg) is chosen. In a rat model of AKI with ischaemia-reperfusion, intraperitoneal injection of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) at 3 μg/kg body weight twice (30 min before ischaemia and 3 h after reperfusion) improved kidney function and alleviated oxidative stress within 24 hours. The average body weight is around 60 kg for Chinese. Considering the oral route often requires larger doses than injection to produce the same effect, oral folic acid at 5 mg/d (\~83.3 μg/kg) is chosen to test its effect on AKI. Depending on the clinical condition, the therapeutic dose of folic acid varies. For foetal support during pregnancy, daily doses of 1 mg of folic acid are recommended; for lowering homocysteine, up to 5 mg daily are generally used.