Effect of ascorbic acid supplementation on liver and kidney toxicity in cyclophosphamide-treated female albino rats

Ascorbic Acid Derivative 2-O-β-d-Glucopyranosyl-l-Ascorbic Acid from the Fruit of Lycium barbarum Modulates Microbiota in the Small Intestine and Colon and Exerts an Immunomodulatory Effect on Cyclophosphamide-Treated BALB/c Mice

2-O-β-d-Glucopyranosyl-l-ascorbic acid (AA-2βG) is a natural and stable ascorbic acid derivative isolated from the fruits of Lycium barbarum. In our present study, cyclophosphamide (Cy) was used to make BALB/c mice immunosuppressive and AA-2βG was used to intervene immunosuppressive mice. It was found that Cy treatment resulted in a series of changes on basic immune indexes including a decrease of thymus and spleen indexes and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and destruction of leucocyte proportion balance, accompanied with weight loss, reduction in colon length, and changes of hepatic function markers. However, all these changes were reversed in varying degrees by AA-2βG intervention. Notably, AA-2βG could significantly change both mouse colonic and small-intestinal microbiota. The key responsive taxa found in a mouse colon were Muribaculaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Oscillibacter, Rikenella, Helicobacter, Negativibacillus, Alistipes, and Roseburia, and the key responsive taxa found in a mouse small intestine were Muribaculaceae, Anaerotruncus, and Paenibacillus. The results demonstrated that AA-2βG could modulate microbiota in the small intestine and colon and exert an immunomodulatory effect. Further studies should focus on the degradation pathways of AA-2βG and the interaction between AA-2βG and Muribaculaceae.

Ovarian protection in cyclophosphamide-treated mice by fennel

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Morphological parameters (WVD) in CP-treated groups significantly reduced.

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Female sexual hormones in CP-treated groups significantly decreased.

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CP-treatment lead to a reduction in the number of different ovarian follicles.

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Fennel extract significantly ameliorate cyclophosphamide ovarian damages.

Evaluation of protective effect of fennel on mouse ovary against the destructive effects of cyclophosphamide (CP) was the aim of this study. Adult female NMARI mice were randomly divided into six groups (n = 8): (A) negative control, (B) CP200 mg/kg, (C) fennel 400 mg/kg/day, (E, F, and D) that received fennel 200, 400 and 100 mg/kg/day respectively + CP200 mg/kg. Their ovary weight, volume, and diameter (WVD) were measured. Five micron sections were stained using the H&E method. The serum levels of oestrogen and progesterone were measured using ELISA kit. The results showed that WVD significantly reduced in the CP-treated groups in comparison with the A and C, but WVD increased after treatment of the mice with fennel extract, in comparison with B group. A significant decrease of serum in terms of oestrogen and progesterone levels among CP-treated groups in comparison with the A group was observed. In the CP-treated groups a reduction in the number of different ovarian follicles in comparison with the A and C groups was observed. However, in the treated animals with fennel extract, these parameters significantly increased in comparison with the B group. Finally, it is concluded that fennel can protect ovary from cyclophosphamide side effects.

Potential urinary biomarkers of nephrotoxicity in cyclophosphamide-treated rats investigated by NMR-based metabolic profiling

The anticancer-drug cyclophosphamide (CP) is known to have nephrotoxicity. The aim of this study was to identify urinary biomarkers indicating CP-induced nephrotoxicity. We investigated the urine metabolic profiles using nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry of rats administered with single high-doses of CP (0, 30, and 100 mg/kg body weight) and daily low-doses over a 4-week period (0, 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg body weight). Among 18 identified urinary metabolites, 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, hippurate, formate, valine, and alanine for short-term and 2-oxoglutarate, citrate, hippurate, isoleucine, leucine, allantoin, valine, and lysine for long-term were selected as potential biomarkers. Pathway-enrichment analysis suggested that the urinary metabolism of CP is related to valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; taurine and hypotaurine metabolism; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; citrate cycle; and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, with high pathway impact. The potential biomarkers obtained in this study could be used to monitor CP-induced nephrotoxicity relative to dose and treatment time.

Ameliorative Effect of Gallic Acid on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Oxidative Injury and Hepatic Dysfunction in Rats

Cyclophosphamide (CP), a bifunctional alkylating agent used in chemotherapy has been reported to induce organ toxicity mediated by generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. Gallic acid (GA), a phenolic substance, is a natural antioxidant with proven free radical scavenging activity and offers protection against oxidative damage. This research study was designed to investigate the ameliorative effect of GA against CP-induced toxicity in rats. Twenty-five male Wistar rats (180-200 g) were randomized into five treatment groups: (A) control, (B) CP, 2 mg/kg body weight (b.w.), (C) pre-treatment with GA (20 mg/kg b.w.) for seven days followed by CP (2 mg/kg b.w.) for seven days, (D) co-treatment with GA (20 mg/kg b.w) and CP (2 mg/kg b.w.) for seven days, and (E) GA (20 mg/kg b.w.) for seven days. CP induced marked renal and hepatic damages as plasma levels of urea, creatinine, bilirubin and activities of AST, ALT, ALP and GGT were significantly elevated (p < 0.05) in the CP-treated group relative to control. In addition, hepatic levels of GSH, vitamin C and activities of SOD, catalase and GST significantly reduced in the CP-treated group when compared with control. This was accompanied with a significant increase in hepatic lipid peroxidation. The restoration of the markers of renal and hepatic damages as well as antioxidant indices and lipid peroxidation by pre- and co-treatment with GA clearly shows that GA offers ameliorative effect by scavenging the reactive oxygen species generated by CP. This protective effect may be attributed to the antioxidant property of gllic acid.

Cardiorenal protective effect of taurine against cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity in albino rats

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a cytotoxic alkylating agent used in the treatment of malignant diseases and autoimmune disorders. Its clinical use is limited to its marked cardiorenal toxicity. The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective role of taurine (Tau; 200 mg·kg^-1 per day, i.p.) on CP-induced cardiorenal toxicity. CP (200 mg·kg^-1) was administered as a single intraperitoneal injection whereas; Tau was administered for 3 weeks on a daily basis. The results showed that CP produced an elevation in serum activities of creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine as well as blood urea nitrogen. CP also induced an elevation in the oxidative stress markers viz. elevation in the serum lipid peroxides level (measured as malondialdehyde; MDA) and reduction in reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase activity in both heart and renal tissue. On the other hand, administration of Tau attenuated the CP-evoked disturbances in the above mentioned parameters. In addition, CP exhibited electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, which were significantly reversed by Tau treatment. Finally, the histopathological examination emphasized the obtained results. In conclusion, Tau is suggested to be a potential candidate to ameliorate CP-induced cardiorenal toxicity that may be related to its antioxidant activity.

Chemoprotective effect of vitamin E in cyclophosphamide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Cyclophosphamide (CP) has a range of adverse effects on liver tissue in humans and animals. Administering an antioxidant with CP might reduce such side effects. Therefore, we examined the role of vitamin E in CP-induced liver toxicity in rats. Male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups, each of seven rats: control, CP only, CP + vitamin E, and vitamin E only groups. The rats were administered treatments intraperitoneally for 7 days. Then the serum malondialdehyde (MDA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were determined while the livers were removed, tissue was prepared using routine histological procedures, sections were stained using hematoxylin and eosin, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method was applied. Histopathologically, CP caused hydropic degeneration, necrosis, pleomorphism, and mitotic activity. The number of TUNEL-positive cells and the MDA and ALT levels were significantly higher in the CP group. The antioxidant effects of vitamin E significantly decreased the number of TUNEL-positive cells and the ALT and MDA levels, and normalized the liver histopathology. CP induces apoptosis, has toxic effects on liver tissue, and changes the histological structure. The administration of vitamin E prevented the liver tissue damage caused by CP.

Oral administration of vitamin C and histidine attenuate cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in rats

Objectives:

Cyclophosphamide (CP), a widely used antineoplastic drug causes hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) mainly via induction of oxidative stress. Both vitamin C and histidine have antioxidant properties. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of oral (p.o.) administration of vitamin C and histidine on the CP-induced HC in rats.

Materials and Methods:

The animals were divided into two major groups I and II with four subgroups (a, b, c, and d) in each. Groups I and II were treated with intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of normal saline and CP (200 mg/kg), respectively, thereafter, normal saline, vitamin C (200 mg/kg), histidine (200 mg/kg) and vitamin C plus histidine were p.o. administered in subgroups a, b, c, and d, respectively, three times (2, 6, and 24 h) after i.p. injections of normal saline and CP. Blood samples were assayed for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Histopathological changes of bladder wall were investigated.

Results:

The decreased TAC and increased MDA levels of plasma and the severity of hemorrhages, congestion, edema, and leukocyte infiltration of bladder induced by CP were recovered with vitamin C and histidine treatments. Combined treatment with vitamin C and histidine showed a potentiation effect.

Conclusion:

The results indicated that vitamin C and histidine attenuated the CP-induced HC by reducing of free radical-induced toxic effects.

Protective effect of aminoguanidine against cyclophosphamide-induced oxidative stress and renal damage in rats

BACKGROUND

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is widely used in the treatment of tumors and B-cell malignant disease, such as lymphoma, myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Renal damage is one of the dose-limiting side effects of CP. Oxidative stress is reported to play important roles in CP-induced renal damage.

AIM

To find out whether aminoguanidine (AG) protects against CP-induced oxidative stress and renal damage.

METHOD

Renal damage was induced in the rats by administration of a single injection of CP at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally. For the AG pretreatment studies, the rats were injected intraperitoneally with AG at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight 1 hour before administration of CP. The control rats received AG or saline alone. All the rats were killed 16 hours after the administration of CP or saline. The kidneys were used for histological examination by light microscopy and biochemical assays--malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl content, reduced glutathione (GSH), and the activities of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S transferase (GSTase), catalase, glutathione reductase, and myeloperoxidase (MPO), a marker of neutrophil infiltration.

RESULTS

Pretreatment with AG attenuated CP-induced renal damage histologically. Pretreatment with AG prevented CP-induced lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, depletion of reduced GSH, and loss of activities of the antioxidant enzymes including GPx, catalase, and GSTase and also MPO activity.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study reveal that AG can prevent CP-induced renal damage by inhibiting oxidative stress. Thus, AG may be useful for prevention of the nephrotoxicity of CP.

Aminoguanidine, a selective nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced renal damage by inhibiting protein nitration and poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase activation

BACKGROUND

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an antineoplastic agent that is used for the treatment of many neoplastic diseases. Renal damage is one of the dose-limiting side effects of CP. Recent studies show that nitrosative stress plays an important role in CP-induced renal damage.

AIM

The purpose of our study was to investigate whether aminoguanidine (AG), a selective inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, protects against CP-induced nitrosative stress and renal damage.

METHOD

Renal damage was induced in rats by administration of a single injection of CP at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally. For the AG pretreatment studies, the rats were injected intraperitoneally with AG at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight 1 h before administration of CP. The control rats received AG or saline alone. All the rats were killed 16 h after the administration of CP or saline. Pretreatment with AG prevented CP-induced nitration of protein tyrosine and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation.

RESULT

Pretreatment with AG attenuated CP-induced renal damage. The present study demonstrates that AG is effective in preventing CP-induced renal damage and also that the protective effect is from its ability to inhibit nitric oxide-induced protein nitration and PARP activation.

CONCLUSION

The present study shows that AG can prevent CP-induced renal damage by inhibiting protein tyrosine nitration and PARP activation. Thus, a more efficient and comfortable therapy can be achieved for patients in need of CP treatment. AG appears to be a promising drug for the prevention of nephrotoxicity of CP.

Nitrosative stress, protein tyrosine nitration, PARP activation and NAD depletion in the kidneys of rats after single dose of cyclophosphamide

OBJECTIVES

Cyclophosphamide (CP) and its structural analogue ifosfamide are highly effective cytostatic drugs. While both cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide have severe urotoxic side effects, only ifosfamide is thought to be nephrotoxic. The nephrotoxicity of CP in generally overlooked because of normal plasma creatinine levels. Therefore, little information is available regarding the pathogenic mechanism of renal damage by CP. In the present study, we investigated the role of nitrosative stress in CP-induced renal damage.

METHODS

The experimental rats received a single i.p. of 150 mg/kg body weight CP in saline and were killed 6 h or 16 h later. The control rats received saline. The kidneys were used for histological and biochemical analysis. Nitrotyrosine and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were localized immunohistochemically as indicators of protein nitration and DNA damage, respectively. Nitrite, NAD and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were assayed in the kidney homogenates.

RESULTS

The nitrite level in the kidneys of CP-treated rats was elevated twofold. The kidneys of CP-treated rats stained strongly for nitrotyrosine as well as for PARP. Significant decrease in oxidized NAD levels was also observed in the kidneys of CP-treated rats. The activity of the peroxynitrite sensitive enzyme SOD was significantly reduced in the kidneys of CP-treated rats.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study reveal that nitrosative stress may play an important role in CP-induced renal damage. It is suggested that protein nitration, PARP activation and NAD +/- depletion may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of cyclophosphamide induced renal damage.

Mitigation of oxidative stress in cyclophosphamide-challenged hepatic tissue by DL-alpha-lipoic acid

The present study investigated the protective effect of DL-alpha-lipoic acid on the tissue peroxidative damage and abnormal antioxidant levels in cyclophosphamide (CP) induced hepatotoxicity. Male Wistar rats of 140 +/- 20 g were categorized into four groups. Two groups were administered CP (15 mg/kg body weight once a week for 10 weeks by oral gavage) to induce hepatotoxicity; one of these groups received lipoic acid treatment (35 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally once a week for 10 weeks; 24 h prior to the CP administration). A vehicle (saline) treated control group and a lipoic acid drug control group were also included. The extent of liver damage in CP-induced rats was evident from the increased activities of serum aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase; whereas lipoic acid pretreatment prevented the rise in these marker enzymes. We evaluated the changes in activities/levels of tissue enzymic (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and non-enzymic (reduced glutathione, ascorbate and a-tocopherol) antioxidants along with malondialdehyde levels in the experimental groups. In CP-administered rats the antioxidant enzymes showed significantly depressed activities (p < 0.001, p < 0.01) and the antioxidant molecules also showed depleted levels (p < 0.001, p < 0.01), in comparison with the control group. However the extent of lipid peroxidation and the abnormal antioxidant status were normalized in lipoic acid pretreated rats. The present work highlights the efficacy of lipoic acid as a cytoprotectant in CP-induced hepatic oxidative injury.

Testicular gametogenic and steroidogenic activities in cyclophosphamide treated rat: a correlative study with testicular oxidative stress

The present work examined the changes in testicular activities in relation to testicular oxidative stress in cyclophosphamide as well as human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) co-treated cyclophosphamide treated Wistar strain rats. Testicular activities were evaluated by the quantification of spermatogenesis and by the measurement of steroidogenic key enzyme activities along with plasma levels of testosterone. Testicular oxidative stress in relation to cyclophosphamide treatment was monitored by the study of products of free radicals like conjugated dienes and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as the activity of testicular antioxidant enzymes like peroxidase and catalase. Cyclophosphamide treatment at the dose of 5 mg/kg body weight/day for 28 days resulted a significant diminution in the activities of testicular delta 5, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (delta 5, 3 beta-HSD), 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta-HSD) activities, plasma level of testosterone along with significant reduction in the number of germ cells at stage-VII of spermatogenesis. Levels of testicular MDA and conjugated dienes both were elevated whereas testicular peroxidase and catalase activities both were inhibited significantly in cyclophosphamide treated rats in comparison to control. After hCG co-administration at the dose of 5 I.U./kg body weight/day for 28 days in cyclophosphamide treated rats resulted a significant protection in the activities of testicular peroxidase and catalase along with significant decrease in the levels of MDA and conjugated dienes to the control level. Moreover, the testicular steroidogenic key enzyme activities and spermatogenesis along with plasma levels of testosterone were restored to the control level. Therefore, it may be concluded that there is a correlation between testicular steroidogenic activities as well as spermatogenesis and testicular oxidative stress in cyclophosphamide treated rats. Moreover, as restoration of plasma testosterone to the control level is noted in hCG co-treated cyclophosphamide treated rat, therefore, the results suggest that testosterone may be the key regulator for this correlation.

Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin coadministration on ovarian steroidogenic and folliculogenic activities in cyclophosphamide treated albino rats

Quantitative evaluation of ovarian Delta5,3beta- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenese (HSD) and 17beta - HSD activities along with radioimmunoassay of plasma levels of gonadotrophins (FSH and LH), and estradiol (E2), and quantification of different types of developing follicles and regressive follicles were noted in mature rats of the Wistar strain following treatment with cyclophosphamide at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight/day for 28 days. A significant reduction in plasma levels of LH and E2 along with significant diminution in the activities of ovarian Delta5,3beta -HSD and 17beta- HSD were observed following cyclophosphamide treatment for 28 days without any change in the plasma level of FSH. This treatment also produced a marked degree of degeneration in different types of follicles. Coadministration of hCG at 5 IU/kg body weight/day for 28 days in the cyclophosphamide-treated group provided significant protection except with respect to plasma LH. These results suggest the possibility of an indirect action of cyclophosphamide at the level of the ovary.