Lack of nephroprotective efficacy of althaea officinalis flower extract against gentamicin renal toxicity in male rats

Gentamicin [GM] is used as antibiotic for Gram-negative infections, but its administration is limited due to a side-effect of nephrotoxicity. It was attempted to investigate the effect of Althaea officinalisflower extract [AOFE] against nephrotoxicity induced by GM in male rats. 30-year-old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Group 1 as a negative control group received AOFE 250 mg/kg/day. Groups 2-5 received saline, AOFE 50 mg/kg/day, AOFE 250 mg/kg/day, and AOFE 500 mg/kg/day for 9 days, respectively, and GM [100 mg/kg/day] was added from the 3rd day on. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were obtained, animals were sacrificed, and the kidneys were removed immediately. Gentamicin [in group 2] significantly increased serum levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine as well as the pathological damage score [P < 0.05] when compared with group 1. Low dose of AOFE did not decrease the nephrotoxicity induced by GM while the high dose of AOFE aggravated renal toxicity [P < 0.05]. Although AOFE acts as an antioxidant, at the doses used in the current study did not ameliorate nephrotoxicity induced by GM

N-acetylcysteine prevents kidney and lung disturbances in renal ischemia/ reperfusion injury in rat

One of the most common causes of acute kidney injury [AKI] is kidney ischemia/reperfusion injury [IRI]. The distant organ injury such as acute lung injury is one of the side effects of AKI or kidney IRI. In this study, we performed bilateral renal IRI in rats and the protective role of N acetylcysteine [NAC] in kidney and lung was investigated. Rats [n = 30] were randomly assigned to four experiment groups. The group 1 was assigned as sham operated group. Before kidney IRI performance, the others groups were treated with saline [group 2], 150 mg/kg [group 3] or 500 mg/kg [group 4] of NAC, and the treatment were continued daily after IRI for next 3 days. At day 3, the all groups' animals were subjected for the measurements. The serum level of blood urea nitrogen [BUN] and creatinine [Cr] in the control group increased significantly [P < 0.05], and administration of NAC [150 mg/kg] decreased the serum levels of Cr and BUN. However, only the serum level of Cr decreased significantly [P < 0.05]. NAC did not improve kidney weight and damage; however, its low dose [150 mg/kg] attenuated the lung injury score [P < 0.05] when compared with the control group. No significant differences were observed in lung water content and endothelial permeability, serum levels of malondialdehyde and nitrite between the groups. Low dose of NAC as a protectant agent may protect the kidney function and lung tissue damage after kidney IRI