To detect the effect of gemfibrozil and silymarin either alone or in combination on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.
Fifty albino rats were divided into 5 equal groups: Control untreated group, cisplatin treated group, gemfibrozil + cisplatin treated group, silymarin + cisplatin treated group, gemfibrozil + silymarin + cisplatin treated group. Blood urea, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urinary N-acetyl beta-d-glucosaminidase, urinary protein, tissue superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, tumour necrosis factor alpha and mitochondrial complex I activity were determined. Kidneys were excised for histopathological examination.
Gemfibrozil and/or silymarin efficiently attenuated cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity evidenced by significant decrease in blood urea, serum creatinine, urinary N-acetyl beta-d-glucosaminidase, urinary protein, tissue malondialdehyde and tissue tumour necrosis factor alpha with significant increase in creatinine clearance, tissue reduced glutathione, tissue superoxide dismutase and mitochondrial complex I activity simultaneous with reduction of the necrotic damage and progressively increasing apoptotic index assessed by renal histopathological examination compared to the cisplatin treated group.
The combination of gemfibrozil and silymarin has protective effects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats better than each of these drugs alone due to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the used drugs.