Reduction of cisplatin toxicity and lethality by sodium malate in mice

Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity; Protective Supplements and Gender Differences

Cisplatin (CDDP) has been widely used as a chemotherapeutic agent for solid tumors. The most common side effect of CDDP is nephrotoxicity, and many efforts have been made in the laboratory and the clinic to employ candidate adjuvants to CDDP to minimize this adverse influence. Many synthetic and herbal antioxidants as well as trace elements have been investigated for this purpose in recent years and a variety of positive and negative results have been yielded. However, no definitive supplement has so far been proposed to prevent CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity; however, this condition is gender related and the sex hormone estrogen may protect the kidney against CDDP damage. In this review, the results of research related to the effect of different synthetic and herbal antioxidants supplements are presented and discussed with suggestions included for future work.

Cisplatin preferentially binds to DNA in dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro and in vivo: a potential mechanism for neurotoxicity

Cisplatin causes apoptosis of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. The amount of platinum binding to DNA correlates with cisplatin toxicity in cancer cellsGenomic DNA platinum content of cultured embryonic DRG neurons and PC12 cells was assayed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Throughout these studies, "cisplatin" refers to the specific drug; "platinum" to the bound form of the drug that is measured in ICP-MS.. Cisplatin binds neuronal DNA more than a neuron-like dividing cell line (PC12); 10-fold at 24 h and 24-fold greater at 72 h. Difference in platinum accumulation was not due to dividing versus post-mitotic state, or to a difference in rate of repair. There was overall greater accumulation of platinum in DRG neurons. In vivo DNA-Platinum binding in adult (300 g) rat DRG was greater than in multiple other tissues. Concomitant treatment with high-dose NGF prevented cisplatin-mediated neuronal apoptosis in vitro but did not reduce adduct formation. Our results show that NGF does not alter platination of DNA, indicating that it interrupts the platinum death pathway after adduct formation. In addition, disproportionate platinum accumulation may explain why a drug aimed at killing rapidly dividing cells causes sensory neurotoxicity.

The influence of very low doses of Cisplatin on tumor cell proliferation in vitro and on some hematological and enzymatic parameters of healthy rats

Healthy rats had been treated for 2 or 6 weeks with 1.0 mL of 10(-8) and 10(-16) mg/mL of cisplatin. After 2 weeks of treatment, a significant increase in leukocyte and erythrocyte count and also in hematocrit was observed. Among leukocytes the number of neutrophils and eosinophils significantly increased. Biochemical analyses indicated a decrease in the glycogen content in the liver and kidneys after 2 weeks of treatment with low doses of cisplatin but at the end of the experiment (8th week of experiment) the stores of glycogen increased significantly. Biochemical analyses concerning the activity of some enzymes in the liver revealed a significant increase of peroxidase and acid phosphatase as well as catalase activities after 2 weeks of treatment. However, catalase was induced by a very low concentration of cisplatin, 10(-16) mg/mL. After the cessation of cisplatin treatment the activity of enzymes returned to normal values.Human lung carcinoma cell line A(549) (ECACC No 86012804) was also studied after treatment with the same doses of cisplatin and inhibition of its growth was observed. The results of these experiments strongly indicated that low doses of cisplatin could be stimulating for healthy cells but cytostatic for tumor cells.Possible mechanisms involved in the biological activity of very low cisplatin concentrations are discussed.

Shosaiko-to and other Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines: a review of their immunomodulatory activities

The use of alternative medicine, including consumption of herbal products and dietary supplements, has been increasing substantially both in the United States and in Western Europe. One area that is garnering increased attention is the use of Oriental Medicine including Kampo, or Japanese herbal medicine. Herein, we review representative examples of research available on the most common use of Kampo medicinals, namely to improve the immune response. We also provide an extensive background on the history of Kampo. There are more than 210 different Kampo formulae used in Japan and most uses of Kampo are to modulate the immune response, i.e. to improve immunity. We have extracted data on seven common Kampo medicinals, and the data are reviewed with respect to in vitro and in vivo activities for both humans and experimental animals; the ingredients as well as the problems with classification of these materials are presented. Research suggests that Kampo herbals are biologically active and may have therapeutic potential. While it is believed that Kampo medicines have few side effects, there is a paucity of data on their toxicity as well as a relative lack of knowledge of the bioactive constituents and potential drug interactions of these agents.