Phenethyl isothiocyanate protects against cyclophosphamide-induced nephrotoxicity via nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 pathway in rats

Phenethyl Isothiocyanate (PEITC) interaction with Keap1 activates the Nrf2 pathway and inhibits lipid accumulation in adipocytes

Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) has been recognized for its potential effects in various human diseases. However, the impact of PEITC on adipocyte differentiation and its underlying molecular mechanisms is not well understood. This study investigates the effects of PEITC on adipocyte differentiation and elucidates the molecular mechanisms involved in Nrf2 activation. The effects of PEITC on adipocyte differentiation were assessed in C3H10T1/2 and 3T3-L1 cells. Nrf2-induced effects by PEITC were examined in Nrf2 knockout (KO) MEF and Keap1 KO H1299 cells. The interaction between PEITC and Keap1 was evaluated using thermal shift assays and Co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Reconstitution of cysteine mutants of Keap1 in Keap1 KO cells was used to elucidate a critical amino acid for the PEITC-induced Nrf2 stabilization. The initial stages of adipogenesis were crucial for PEITC's anti-adipogenic effects in C3H10T1/2 and 3T3-L1 cells. PEITC increased Nrf2 protein expression, but this induction was absent in Keap1 KO cells. Thermal shift assays with the purified BTB domain of Keap1 confirmed a direct interaction with PEITC. Re-expression of Keap1 in Keap1 KO cells showed that the cysteine residue at position 151 is essential for PEITC-induced Nrf2 expression and the disruption of the Nrf2-Keap1 complex. PEITC was found to activate Nrf2-mediated gene expression and inhibit adipocyte differentiation, at least partially, through Nrf2-dependent mechanisms. This study confirms the anti-adipogenic effects of PEITC. Mechanistic investigations demonstrate that PEITC interacts with Keap1 and that the cysteine residue (C151) of Keap1 is critical for PEITC's effects on Nrf2 activation.

Levocabastine ameliorates cyclophosphamide-induced nephrotoxicity in Swiss albino mice via NF-κB/cleaved caspase-3/TGF-β signaling pathways

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a potent anticancer drug, but nephrotoxicity is one of the vital organ toxicities that it causes as a side effect. We tried to evaluate the nephroprotective effect of levocabastine (LEV) in CP-induced nephrotoxicity in Swiss albino mice. Mice were given CP 200 mg/kg, i.p., once on the 7th day. LEV (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) and fenofibrate (FF) (80 mg/kg, p.o.) were given daily for 14 days. On the 15th day, animals were sacrificed and kidneys were removed for examination. The docking study showed significant binding of LEV and FF against TGF-β1, which is a prime target molecule involved in nephrotoxicity. CP 200 group showed nephrotoxicity in terms of oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis as manifested by decreased levels of SOD, catalase, GSH, blood urea nitrogen/creatinine (BUN/Cr) ratio, and increased TBARS, nitrite, TNF-α, IL-6, TGF-β1, IL-1β, urea, uric acid, creatinine, and BUN. A decrease in body weight (BW) and an increase in kidney weight (KW) with an increased KW/BW ratio was also observed. Cleaved caspase-3 and NF-κB expression was also increased. Histopathological aberrations, like renal corpuscle damage, Bowman's space widening, glomerulus, mesangium cell disintegration, atrophic podocytes, vacuolation, and fibrotic changes were also seen. LEV 0.1 and FF 80 significantly reversed these changes toward normal and showed nephroprotective potential. Thus, seeing the protective effect of LEV on CP-intoxicated mice, we conclude that LEV may be used as an adjuvant with CP in cancer, however, it needs more studies with the direct cancer model to confirm the claim.

The Protective Effects of Saxagliptin and Cilostazol in an Experimental Model of Cyclophosphamide-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats: Targeting iNOS/NF-kB and Nrf-2/HO-1 Pathways

Cyclophosphamide (CYP) is an extensively used immunosuppressive drug and chemotherapeutic agent for various malignancies. Nevertheless, its use is limited due to adverse effects, including nephrotoxicity. Saxagliptin is a DPP4 inhibitor, while cilostazol serves as an antiplatelet agent. Their nephroprotective effects arise from antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study investigated the potential protective effects of Saxagliptin and Cilostazol in rats with kidney damage induced by CYP. Five equal groups of 50 male Wistar rats were randomly categorised as Group I (Control group), Group II: CYP untreated nephrotoxicity-induced group, Group III: Nephrotoxicity-induced group treated with saxagliptin, Group IV: Nephrotoxicity-induced group treated with cilostazol, and Group V: Nephrotoxicity-induced group treated with saxagliptin and cilostazol. Renal tissues and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis of urea, creatinine, and acute kidney injury biomarkers, including Kim-1 and NGAL. Additionally, oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers such as GSH, MDA, TNF-α and IL-1β were assessed, along with gene expression of Nrf-2/HO-1 and NF-kB. Immunohistochemical analysis of iNOS, and histopathological study were also conducted. Saxagliptin and cilostazol ameliorated the nephrotoxicity induced by CYP, as indicated by improvements in urea, creatinine, and acute kidney injury biomarkers Kim-1 and NGAL. Furthermore, there was a decrease in oxidative stress via the upregulation of Nrf-2/HO-1, increased levels of GSH, downregulation of MDA and decreased inflammation via the downregulation of TNF-α, IL-1β and iNOS/NF-kB. The combination of saxagliptin and cilostazol demonstrated a significant improvement compared to using each agent individually. The combination of Saxagliptin/Cilostazol is superior to monotherapy by either of each alone in preventing CYP-induced nephrotoxicity.

Histone deacetylases: potential therapeutic targets in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury

Aim: Chemotherapy has been well shown to enhance life expectancy in patients with malignancy. However, conventional chemotherapy drugs, particularly cisplatin, are highly associated with nephrotoxicity, which limits therapeutic efficacy and impairs quality of life. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are proteases that play significant roles in diseases by influencing protein post-translational modification and gene expression. Agents that inhibit HDAC enzymes have been developed and approved by the FDA as anticancer drugs. It is worth noting that in certain preclinical studies with tumour cell lines, the integration of HDAC modulators and cisplatin not only exerts synergistic or additive tumour-killing effects but also alleviates cisplatin nephrotoxicity. The aim of this review is to discuss the role of HDACs in cisplatin nephrotoxicity.

Methods: After searching in PubMed and Web of Science databases using 'Histone deacetylase', 'nephrotoxicity', 'cisplatin', and 'onconpehrology' as keywords, studies related was compiled and examined.

Results: HDAC inhibitors exert renal protective effects by inhibiting inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and promoting autophagy; whereas sirtuins play a renal protective role by regulating lipid metabolism, inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis, and protecting mitochondrial biosynthesis and mitochondrial dynamics. These potential interactions provide clues concerning targets for molecular treatment.

Conclusion: This review encapsulates the function and molecular mechanisms of HDACs in cisplatin nephrotoxicity, providing the current view by which HDACs induce different biological signaling in the regulation of chemotherapy-associated renal injury. More importantly, this review exhaustively elucidates that HDACs could be targeted to develop a new therapeutic strategy in treating cisplatin nephrotoxicity, which will extend the knowledge of the biological impact and clinical implications of HDACs.

Nephroprotective Effect of Bergapten Against Cyclophosphamide-Mediated Renal Stress, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in Wistar Rats: Probable Role of NF-kB and TGF-β1 Signaling Molecules

Cyclophosphamide (CPM) is a well-established antineoplastic drug with marked clinical outcomes in various types of cancers. Despite being a promising drug, its use is associated with significant renal toxicity and often limits its use, leading to compromised clinical outcomes. Therefore, this study explored the renal protective effect of bergapten (BGP), a natural bioactive compound that showed marked antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. Till now, BGP has not been studied for its renal protective effect in an in vivo model. Animals were divided into control, toxic, BGP-3, BGP-10, and BGP Per se. The control group was treated with normal saline for 2 weeks. To the toxic group, CPM 200 mg/kg was given on day 7 as i.p. To BGP-3, 10, and Per se, BGP-3 and 10 mg/kg, ip was given 2 weeks with a single shot of CPM 200 day 7. To the Per se group, only BGP 10 mg/kg, ip was given from day 1 to day 14. After 14 days, animals were sacrificed, and kidneys were removed and studied for the markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, renal injury, renal fibrosis, and renal damage using biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical studies. We found that BGP-10 effectively reversed the damage toward normal, whereas BGP-3 failed to exhibit a significant renal protective effect. We conclude that bergapten could be a potential renal protective drug, and hence, more detailed cellular molecular-based studies are needed to bring this drug from the bench to the bedside.

Cytoprotective effects of cinnamaldehyde and adipoRon against cyclophosphamide-induced cardio-renal toxicity in rats: Insights into oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis

Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent used in the treatment of various types of tumors and autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately, cyclophosphamide usage is limited in clinical situations due to its cardio-renal toxicity. The current study investigates the protective effects of cinnamaldehyde and adipoRon against cyclophosphamide-induced cardio-renal toxicity. 24 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were assorted in a random manner into 4 groups; control, cyclophosphamide, cyclophosphamide+cinnamaldehyde (90 mg/kg) and cyclophosphamide+adipoRon (25 mg/kg), rats treated with cinnamaldehyde and adipoRon for 10 days and on the 7th day of the experiment, rats were given a single I.P. injection of cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg). Thereafter, specimens of heart and kidney tissues were used for biochemical, immunohistochemical and histopathological analysis. Cinnamaldehyde and adipoRon attenuated the cardio-renal intoxication induced by cyclophosphamide which was manifested by a marked decrease in cardiac-renal injury markers (CK-MB, LDH, cTnI, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen) accompanied with normalization of histopathological changes. Moreover, cinnamaldehyde and adipoRon reversed cardio-renal oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis as they have significantly decreased 8-OHdG levels, MDA contents, NF-κB, TNF-α and caspase-3 expression. On the other hand, cinnamaldehyde and adipoRon have upregulated antioxidant biomarkers; GSH concentration, Nrf2 expression as well as the anti-inflammatory cytokine; IL-10 and the antiapoptotic; BCL2. In conclusion, these cytoprotective effects of cinnamaldehyde and adipoRon suggesting the possibility of using them in combination with cyclophosphamide treatment protocols to minimize their unwanted side effects.