Effect of lycopene against cisplatin-induced acute renal injury in rats: organic anion and cation transporters evaluation

Indoxyl sulphate-TNFα axis mediates uremic encephalopathy in rodent acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is often accompanied by uremic encephalopathy resulting from accumulation of uremic toxins in brain possibly due to impaired blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. Anionic uremic toxins are substrates or inhibitors of organic anionic transporters (OATs). In this study we investigated the CNS behaviors and expression/function of BBB OAT3 in AKI rats and mice, which received intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin 8 and 20 mg/kg, respectively. We showed that cisplatin treatment significantly inhibited the expressions of OAT3, synaptophysin and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), impaired locomotor and exploration activities, and increased accumulation of uremic toxins in the brain of AKI rats and mice. In vitro studies showed that uremic toxins neither alter OAT3 expression in human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, nor synaptophysin and MAP2 expressions in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. In contrast, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and the conditioned medium (CM) from RAW264.7 cells treated with indoxyl sulfate (IS) significantly impaired OAT3 expression. TNFα and CM from IS-treated BV-2 cells also inhibited synaptophysin and MAP2 expressions in SH-SY5Y cells. The alterations caused by TNFα and CMs in vitro, and by AKI and TNFα in vivo were abolished by infliximab, a monoclonal antibody designed to intercept and neutralize TNFα, suggesting that AKI impaired the expressions of OAT3, synaptophysin and MAP2 in the brain via IS-induced TNFα release from macrophages or microglia (termed as IS-TNFα axis). Treatment of mice with TNFα (0.5 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.p. for 3 days) significantly increased p-p65 expression and reduced the expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1. Inhibiting NF-κB pathway, silencing p65, or activating Nrf2 and HO-1 obviously attenuated TNFα-induced downregulation of OAT3, synaptophysin and MAP2 expressions. Significantly increased p-p65 and decreased Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels were also detected in brain of AKI mice and rats. We conclude that AKI inhibits the expressions of OAT3, synaptophysin and MAP2 due to IS-induced TNFα release from macrophages or microglia. TNFα impairs the expressions of OAT3, synaptophysin and MAP2 partly via activating NF-κB pathway and inhibiting Nrf2-HO-1 pathway.

Hyperoside ameliorates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by regulating the expression and function of Oat1

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent to treat solid tumours in clinics. However, cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) limits its clinical application. This study investigated the effect of hyperoside (a flavonol glycoside compound) on regulating AKI.The model of cisplatin-induced AKI was established, and hyperoside was preadministered to investigate its effect on improving kidney injury.Hyperoside ameliorated renal pathological damage, reduced the accumulation of SCr, BUN, Kim-1 and indoxyl sulphate in vivo, increased the excretion of indoxyl sulphate into the urine, and upregulated the expression of renal organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1). Moreover, evaluation of rat kidney slices demonstrated that hyperoside promoted the uptake of PAH (p-aminohippurate, the Oat1 substrate), which was confirmed by transient over-expression of OAT1 in HEK-293T cells. Additionally, hyperoside upregulated the mRNA expression of Oat1 upstream regulators hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α (HNF-1α) and pregnane X receptor (PXR).These findings indicated hyperoside could protect against cisplatin-induced AKI by promoting indoxyl sulphate excretion through regulating the expression and function of Oat1, suggesting hyperoside may offer a potential tactic for cisplatin-induced AKI treatment.

Compound 5 alleviated acute kidney injury without affecting the antitumor effect after cisplatin treatment

Despite being a powerful weapon against cancer cells, cisplatin's therapeutic potential is hampered by numerous adverse reactions, including acute kidney injury (AKI). Compound 5 has 3-SH fragments at the end of the vertical short alkyl side chain, which is an ROS scavenger synthesized. In this study, we evaluated the protective effect of compound 5 on the kidney after cisplatin administration and its mechanism. The results founded that compound 5 can alleviate serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine induced by cisplatin administration in vivo. In addition, histopathological analysis of the kidneys showed that compound 5 significantly reduced cisplatin-induced (Cis-induced) renal toxicity compared with the cisplatin group. A mechanism study showed that compound 5 significantly reduces NOX4 levels, improves the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH-Px), reduces Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, increases the total antioxidant level, reduces oxidative stress, and thus reduces kidney tissue damage. At the same time, compound 5 activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway. In addition, it can increase the expression of Bax, reduce the expression of Bcl-2 and caspase-3, a marker of apoptosis, which is beneficial to the survival of kidney cells. Additionally, compound 5 did not interfere with the antitumor effects of cisplatin in in vivo xenotransplantation models.

The underlying mechanisms of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and its therapeutic intervention using natural compounds

Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic drug widely used for the treatment of various solid tumors; however, its clinical use and efficacy are limited by its inherent nephrotoxicity. The pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity is complex and has not been fully elucidated. Cellular uptake and transport, DNA damage, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and autophagy are involved in the development of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Currently, despite some deficiencies, hydration regimens remain the major protective measures against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Therefore, effective drugs must be explored and developed to prevent and treat cisplatin-induced kidney injury. In recent years, many natural compounds with high efficiency and low toxicity have been identified for the treatment of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, including quercetin, saikosaponin D, berberine, resveratrol, and curcumin. These natural agents have multiple targets, multiple effects, and low drug resistance; therefore, they can be safely used as a supplementary regimen or combination therapy for cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. This review aimed to comprehensively describe the molecular mechanisms underlying cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and summarize natural kidney-protecting compounds to provide new ideas for the development of better therapeutic agents.

A State-of-the-Science Review of Interactions of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) with Renal Transporters in Health and Disease: Implications for Population Variability in PFAS Toxicokinetics

BACKGROUND

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the environment and have been shown to cause various adverse health impacts. In animals, sex- and species-specific differences in PFAS elimination half-lives have been linked to the activity of kidney transporters. However, PFAS molecular interactions with kidney transporters are still not fully understood. Moreover, the impact of kidney disease on PFAS elimination remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This state-of-the-science review integrated current knowledge to assess how changes in kidney function and transporter expression from health to disease could affect PFAS toxicokinetics and identified priority research gaps that should be addressed to advance knowledge.

METHODS

We searched for studies that measured PFAS uptake by kidney transporters, quantified transporter-level changes associated with kidney disease status, and developed PFAS pharmacokinetic models. We then used two databases to identify untested kidney transporters that have the potential for PFAS transport based on their endogenous substrates. Finally, we used an existing pharmacokinetic model for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in male rats to explore the influence of transporter expression levels, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and serum albumin on serum half-lives.

RESULTS

The literature search identified nine human and eight rat kidney transporters that were previously investigated for their ability to transport PFAS, as well as seven human and three rat transporters that were confirmed to transport specific PFAS. We proposed a candidate list of seven untested kidney transporters with the potential for PFAS transport. Model results indicated PFOA toxicokinetics were more influenced by changes in GFR than in transporter expression.

DISCUSSION

Studies on additional transporters, particularly efflux transporters, and on more PFAS, especially current-use PFAS, are needed to better cover the role of transporters across the PFAS class. Remaining research gaps in transporter expression changes in specific kidney disease states could limit the effectiveness of risk assessment and prevent identification of vulnerable populations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11885.

Polymorphic renal transporters and cisplatin's toxicity in urinary bladder cancer patients: current perspectives and future directions

Urinary bladder cancer (UBC) holds a potentially profound social burden and affects over 573,278 new cases annually. The disease's primary risk factors include occupational tobacco smoke exposure and inherited genetic susceptibility. Over the past 30 years, a number of treatment modalities have emerged, including cisplatin, a platinum molecule that has demonstrated effectiveness against UBC. Nevertheless, it has severe dose-limiting side effects, such as nephrotoxicity, among others. Since intracellular accumulation of platinum anticancer drugs is necessary for cytotoxicity, decreased uptake or enhanced efflux are the root causes of platinum resistance and response failure. Evidence suggests that genetic variations in any transporter involved in the entry or efflux of platinum drugs alter their kinetics and, to a significant extent, determine patients' responses to them. This review aims to consolidate and describe the major transporters and their polymorphic variants in relation to cisplatin-induced toxicities and resistance in UBC patients. We concluded that the efflux transporters ABCB1, ABCC2, SLC25A21, ATP7A, and the uptake transporter OCT2, as well as the organic anion uptake transporters OAT1 and OAT2, are linked to cisplatin accumulation, toxicity, and resistance in urinary bladder cancer patients. While suppressing the CTR1 gene's expression reduced cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity, inhibiting the expression of the MATE1 and MATE2-K genes has been shown to increase cisplatin's nephrotoxicity and resistance. The roles of ABCC5, ABCA8, ABCC10, ABCB10, ABCG1, ATP7B, ABCG2, and mitochondrial SLC25A10 in platinum-receiving urinary bladder cancer patients should be the subject of further investigation.

Protective Effect of Natural Antioxidants on Reducing Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity

The clinical application of cisplatin is limited by its adverse events, of which nephrotoxicity is the most commonly observed. In a cisplatin-induced pathological response, oxidative stress is one of the upstream reactions which inflicts different degrees of damages to the intracellular material components. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are also one of the early signaling molecules that subsequently undergo a series of pathological reactions, such as apoptosis and necrosis. This review summarizes the mechanism of intracellular ROS generation induced by cisplatin, mainly from the consumption of endogenous antioxidants, destruction of antioxidant enzymes, induction of mitochondrial crosstalk between the endoplasmic reticulum by ROS and Ca²⁺, and destruction of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system in the endoplasmic reticulum, all of which result in excessive accumulation of intracellular ROS and oxidative stress. In addition, studies demonstrated that natural antioxidants can protect against the cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, by reducing or even eliminating excess free radicals and also affecting other nonredox pathways. Therefore, this review on the one hand provides theoretical support for the research and clinical application of natural antioxidants and on the other hand provides a new entry point for the detailed mechanism of cisplatin nephrotoxicity, which may lay a solid foundation for the future clinical use of cisplatin.

Impact of kidney dysfunction on hepatic and intestinal drug transporters

Emerging information suggests that pathology of the kidney may not only affect expression and function of membrane transporters in the organ, but also in the gastrointestinal tract and the liver. Transporter dysfunction may cause effects on handling of drug as well as endogenous compounds with subsequent clinical consequences. A literature search was conducted on Ovid and PubMed databases to select relevant in vitro, animal and human studies that have reported expression, protein abundance and function of the gastrointestinal and liver localized ABC transporters and SLC carriers in kidney dysfunction or uremia states. The altered function of drug transporters in the liver and intestines in kidney failure subjects may provide compensatory activity in handling endogenous compounds (e.g. uremic toxins), which is expected to affect drug pharmacokinetics and local drug actions.

Using Green Biosynthesized Lycopene-Coated Selenium Nanoparticles to Rescue Renal Damage in Glycerol-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Rats

Purpose

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have recently gained much attention in nanomedicine applications owing to their unique biological properties. Biosynthesis of SeNPs using nutraceuticals as lycopene (LYC) maximizes their stability and bioactivities. In this context, this study aimed to elucidate the renoprotective activity of SeNPs coated with LYC (LYC-SeNPs) in the acute kidney injury (AKI) model.

Methods

Rats were divided into six groups: control, AKI (glycerol-treated), AKI+sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃; 0.5 mg/kg), AKI+LYC (10 mg/kg), AKI+LYC-SeNPs (0.5 mg/kg) and treated for 14 days.

Results

Glycerol treatment evoked significant increases in rhabdomyolysis-related markers (creatine kinase and LDH). Furthermore, relative kidney weight, Kim-1, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), serum urea, and creatinine in the AKI group were elevated. Glycerol-injected rats displayed declines in reduced glutathione level, and superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities, paralleled with downregulations in Nfe2l2 and Hmox-1 expressions and high renal MDA and NO contents. Glycerol-induced renal inflammation was evident by rises in TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and upregulated Nos2 expression. Also, apoptotic (elevated caspase-3, Bax, and cytochrome-c with lowered Bcl-2) and necroptotic (elevated Pipk3 expression) changes were reported in damaged renal tissue. Co-treatment with Na₂SeO₃, LYC, or LYC-SeNPs restored the biochemical, molecular, and histological alterations in AKI. In comparison with Na₂SeO₃ or LYC treatment, LYC-SeNPs had the best nephroprotective profile.

Conclusion

Our findings authentically revealed that LYC-SeNPs co-administration could be a prospective candidate against AKI-mediated renal damage via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-necroptotic activities.

Watermelon Reduces the Toxicity of Cisplatin Treatment in C57BL/6 Mice with Induced Melanoma

An alternative to reduce the undesirable effects of antineoplastic agents has been the combination of classical treatments with nutritional strategies aimed at reducing systemic toxicity without decreasing the antitumor activity of already used drugs. Within this context, this study evaluated the possible reduction of toxicity when cisplatin treatment is combined with watermelon pulp juice supplementation in C57BL/6 mice with melanoma. Watermelon is a fruit rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, lycopene, carotene, and xanthophylls, which has shown effectiveness in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, weight loss, urinary infections, gout, hypertension, and mutagenicity. The following parameters were analyzed: animal survival, bone marrow genotoxicity, serum creatinine and urea, histopathological features of the tumor tissue, tumor weight and volume, and weight of non-tumor tissues (kidney, liver, spleen, heart, and lung). The results showed that watermelon had no antitumor effect but reduced the toxicity of cisplatin, as demonstrated by an increase in the number of bone marrow cells and a decrease in serum creatinine and urea levels. The data suggest that watermelon pulp juice can be an alternative for reducing the side effects of antineoplastic agents.

Lycopene attenuates di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-induced mitophagy in spleen by regulating the sirtuin3-mediated pathway

Lycopene (Lyc) has been discussed as a potential effector in the prevention and therapy of various diseases. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is regarded as a universal environmental pollutant. To clarify the potential protective effect of Lyc on DEHP-induced splenic injury, 140 male mice were randomized into seven groups: control (distilled water), vehicle control (corn oil per day), Lyc (5 mg per kg BW per day), DEHP (500 or 1000 mg per kg BW per day), and DEHP combined Lyc group, respectively. All experimental animals were treated by oral gavage for 28 days. The results that showed DEHP exposure significantly up-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of the sirtuin family (except SIRT4-5), PGC-1α, OPA1, Drp1, MFN1/2, NRF1, TFAM, Parkin and PINK in DEHP-treated alone groups and the SOD2 and LC3-II protein expression were also in accordance with the above changes. These were accompanied with an increase of the number of inflammatory cells and rate of mitochondrial damage, and autophagosome formation in the spleen. Notably, Lyc supplementation facilitated all these changes to effectively return to the normal level, indicating that Lyc exerts protective effects against DEHP-induced splenic toxicity. Altogether, the protective effects of Lyc may be a strategy to ameliorate DEHP-induced spleen damage.

Aflatoxicosis in Pekin duckling and the effects of treatments with lycopene and silymarin

Background and Aim:

Aflatoxins (AFs) are potent toxic metabolites produced from Aspergillus species. Whose existence in poultry ration leads to drastic economic losses, notably in duck, as the most susceptible poultry species. This study aimed to determine tissue residues of AFs, alterations in selected clinical chemistry variables in serum, mainly during the exposure period, and lycopene and silymarin’s possible roles as herbal treatments against aflatoxicosis in Pekin duckling.

Materials and Methods:

The study used one hundred and twenty one-day-old Pekin ducklings and classified them into four groups comprising 30 ducklings in each group. The control group (G1) ducklings were fed a mycotoxin-free ration, and G2 received a naturally contaminated ration with 30 ppb of AFs. G3 and G4 consumed contaminated rations with AFs with 30 ppb for 2 weeks and were treated with lycopene 100 mg/kg or silymarin 600 mg/kg/food, respectively, for 10 days. Serum activities of alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamyl transferase, ALP, total protein and albumin creatinine and uric acid concentrations, oxidant/antioxidant parameters (malondialdehyde [MDA], total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and catalase [CAT]), and hepatic AFs residue were determined. Lycopene and silymarin were used for the treatment of aflatoxicosis for another 10 days.

Results:

Hepatic and kidney parameters were elevated in the AFs intoxicated group and reduced in the lycopene- and silymarin-treated groups. They had elevated MDA and AFs residues with decreased antioxidant parameters (TAC, GST, and CAT) in the AFs group. At the same time, treatment with lycopene or silymarin had reversed the action of AFs on MDA, elevated the hepatic residue, and improved antioxidant activity.

Conclusion:

Lycopene and silymarin, with their potent antioxidant activity, can be used to reverse the harmful effects of AFs on hepatic and kidney tissue.

Exploring the possible neuroprotective and antioxidant potency of lycopene against acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity in rats' brain

Acrylamide (Ac) is a carbonyl compound extracted from hydrated acrylonitrile with a significantly high chemical activity. It is widely existed and used in food processing, industrial manufacturing and laboratory personnel work. However, lycopene (Ly) is a most potent natural antioxidant among various common carotenoids extracted from red plants. Nevertheless, little is known about the relationship of Ac-induced neurotoxicity and the ameliorative role of Ly in the regulation of oxidative and antioxidant capacity during Ac exposure. Therefore, this work sought to investigate the neurotoxicity induced by Ac exposure and the potential modulatory role of Ly by reversing the brain dysfunctions during Ac exposure. For this purpose, forty male albino rats were assigned into four equal groups. Control group received distilled water, Ly group was given with a daily dose of 10 mg/kg bw, Ac group was given with a daily dose of 25 mg/kg bw, and Ac-Ly group was gavaged Ac plus Ly at the same doses as the former groups. All treatments were given orally for 21 consecutive days. The concentrations of antioxidants (reduced glutathione and glutathione peroxidase) and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and protein carbonyl) biomarkers, as well as neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were measured in the brain homogenates. An immunohistochemical staining was applied with anti-GFPA antibody to determine the severity of astrocytosis. The in vivo study with rat model demonstrated that Ac exposure significantly decline the hematological parameters, brain neurotransmitters concentrations and AChE activity, as well as levels of antioxidant biomarkers but markedly elevate the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers. Moreover, marked histological alterations and astrocytosis were observed through the increased number of GFAP immunopositively cells in cerebral, cerebellar and hippocampal tissues compared with the other groups. Interestingly, almost all of the previously mentioned parameters were retrieved in Ac-Ly group compared to Ac group. These findings conclusively indicate that Ly oral administration provides adequate protection against the neurotoxic effects of Ac on rat brain tissue function and structure through modulations of oxidative and antioxidant activities.

Effect of erythropoietin on mercury-induced nephrotoxicity: Role of membrane transporters

Mercury is a widespread pollutant. Mercuric ions uptake into tubular cells is supported by the Organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1) and 3 (Oat3) and its elimination into urine is through the Multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2). We investigated the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (Epo) on renal function and on renal expression of Oat1, Oat3, and Mrp2 in a model of mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced renal damage. Four experimental groups of adult male Wistar rats were used: Control, Epo, HgCl2, and Epo + HgCl2. Epo (3000 IU/kg, b.w., i.p.) was administered 24 h before HgCl2 (4 mg/kg, b.w., i.p.). Experiments were performed 18 h after the HgCl2 dose. Parameters of renal function and structure were evaluated. The protein expression of Oat1, Oat3 and Mrp2 in renal tissue was assessed by immunoblotting techniques. Mercury levels were determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Pretreatment with Epo ameliorated the HgCl2-induced tubular injury as assessed by histopathology and urinary biomarkers. Immunoblotting showed that pretreatment with Epo regulated the renal expression of mercury transporters in a way to decrease mercury content in the kidney. Epo pretreatment ameliorates HgCl2-induced renal tubular injury by modulation of mercury transporters expression in the kidneys.

Lycopene Ameliorates Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate-Induced Pyroptosis in Spleen via Suppression of Classic Caspase-1/NLRP3 Pathway

Lycopene (Lyc) as a natural antioxidant has attracted widespread attention. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) can cause serious spleen injury in animals via the environment and food chain. For investigation of whether Lyc could alleviate DEHP-exerted pyroptosis in spleen through inhibiting the Caspase-1/NLRP3 pathway activation, 140 male mice were randomly divided into 7 groups: control group, vehicle control group, Lyc group (5 mg/kg BW/day), DEHP-exposed group (500 or 1000 mg/kg BW/day, respectively), and DEHP + Lyc groups by daily administration for 28 days. Pathological results showed that the supplementation of Lyc alleviated DEHP-induced inflammatory infiltration. Moreover, the addition of Lyc inhibited DEHP-induced Caspase-1, NLRP3, ASC, NF-κB, IL-1β, and IL-18 overexpression and GSDMD down-expression. These results indicate that Lyc could inhibit DEHP-induced Caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis and the inflammatory response. Taken together, the study provided new evidence that Lyc may be a strategy to mitigate spleen injury induced by DEHP.

A meta-analysis of preclinical studies using antioxidants for the prevention of cisplatin nephrotoxicity: implications for clinical application

Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic drug whose clinical use and efficacy are limited by its nephrotoxicity, which affects mainly the renal tubules and vasculature. It accumulates in proximal and distal epithelial tubule cells and causes oxidative stress-mediated cell death and malfunction. Consequently, many antioxidants have been tested for their capacity to prevent cisplatin nephrotoxicity. In this study, we made a systematic review of the literature and meta-analyzed 152 articles, which tested the nephroprotective effect of isolated compounds or mixtures of natural origin on cisplatin nephrotoxicity in preclinical models. This meta-analysis identified the most effective candidates and examined the efficacy obtained by antioxidants administered by the oral and intraperitoneal routes. By comparing with a recent, similar meta-analysis performed on clinical studies, this article identifies a disconnection between preclinical and clinical research, and contextualizes, discusses, and integrates the existing preclinical information toward the optimized selection of candidates to be further explored (clinical level). Despite proved efficacy, this article discusses the barriers limiting the clinical development of natural mixtures, such as those in extracts from Calendula officinalis flowers and Heliotropium eichwaldii roots. On the contrary, isolated compounds are more straightforward candidates, among which arjunolic acid and quercetin stand out in this meta-analysis.

Potential Protective Role of Rutin and Alpha-lipoic Acid Against Cisplatin-induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity is a serious complication that restricts its utilization in cancer treatment. Rutin and alpha-lipoic acid have antioxidant effectiveness, anti-inflammatory efficacy and prevent oxidative stress. Therefore, the current study planned to investigate the potential defensive impacts of rutin and alpha-lipoic acid on cisplatin-induced renal damage in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-six adult male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into seven groups. Rats of group 1: Treated with saline as the control. Group 2: Orally received rutin daily for 2 weeks. Group 3: Rats were orally administered with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) daily for 2 weeks. Group 4: Rats were intraperitoneal (i.p.) injected with cisplatin to develop the acute renal injury. Group 5: Rats injected with cisplatin then treated orally with RT. Group 6: Rats were injected i.p., with cisplatin then treated orally with ALA. Group 7: Rats injected with cisplatin then treated orally with RT and ALA daily for 2 weeks.

RESULTS

The cisplatin administration to rats induced nephrotoxicity associated with a significant increase in serum urea, creatinine, albumin and significantly reduce haemoglobin and red blood cells count. The animal treated with cisplatin showed a significant increase in the level of renal malondialdehyde associated with reduction in the levels of glutathione-s-transferase, glutathione reductase and catalase compared to control group. Moreover, cisplatin treated group recorded significant increase in nuclear factor kappa B, IL-6 and p53 levels compared to control group. Additionally, histopathological examination showed that cisplatin-induced interstitial congestion, focal mononuclear cell inflammatory, cell infiltrate and acute tubular injury. In correlation with the cisplatin group, Rutin and alpha-lipoic acid ameliorated cisplatin-induction increase in serum urea, creatinine, albumin, oxidative stress and inflammation were observed. Moreover, rutin and alpha-lipoic acid showed an enhancement in haematological and histopathological structures.

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that rutin and alpha-lipoic acid showed a protective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Multimodal network diffusion predicts future disease-gene-chemical associations

MOTIVATION

Precision medicine is an emerging field with hopes to improve patient treatment and reduce morbidity and mortality. To these ends, computational approaches have predicted associations among genes, chemicals and diseases. Such efforts, however, were often limited to using just some available association types. This lowers prediction coverage and, since prior evidence shows that integrating heterogeneous data is likely beneficial, it may limit accuracy. Therefore, we systematically tested whether using more association types improves prediction.

RESULTS

We study multimodal networks linking diseases, genes and chemicals (drugs) by applying three diffusion algorithms and varying information content. Ten-fold cross-validation shows that these networks are internally consistent, both within and across association types. Also, diffusion methods recovered missing edges, even if all the edges from an entire mode of association were removed. This suggests that information is transferable between these association types. As a realistic validation, time-stamped experiments simulated the predictions of future associations based solely on information known prior to a given date. The results show that many future published results are predictable from current associations. Moreover, in most cases, using more association types increases prediction coverage without significantly decreasing sensitivity and specificity. In case studies, literature-supported validation shows that these predictions mimic human-formulated hypotheses. Overall, this study suggests that diffusion over a more comprehensive multimodal network will generate more useful hypotheses of associations among diseases, genes and chemicals, which may guide the development of precision therapies.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

Code and data are available at https://github.com/LichtargeLab/multimodal-network-diffusion.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Renoprotective Effects of a New Free Radical Scavenger, XH-003, against Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity

Acute renal injury has an incidence of 25%–30% in patients with tumors who are treated with cisplatin and in patients for whom no specific drugs are available for treatment. Amifostine is the only FDA-approved chemoprotective drug; however, its clinical application is limited because of side effects. The small-molecule antioxidant XH-003, an acute radiation syndrome- (ARS-) protective drug independently developed in our laboratory, with 100% intellectual property rights, overcomes the side effects of amifostine but retains its high efficacy. In this study, XH-003 showed a chemoprotective effect similar to that of amifostine. A mechanistic study showed that XH-003 could significantly reduce cisplatin-induced increases in serum creatinine and urea nitrogen, increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px), reduce oxidative stress and tissue inflammation, and alleviate renal tissue damage by blocking the activity of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Most importantly, XH-003 could reduce the accumulation of cisplatin in renal tissue by regulating the expression of proteins involved in cisplatin uptake and excretion, such as organic cation transporter 2 and MRP2. Moreover, in an in vivo xenotransplantation model, XH-003 did not interfere with the antitumor effect of cisplatin. These data provide strong evidence that the ARS-protective agent has a great potential for protecting against chemotherapy-induced toxicity. Thus, XH-003 can be considered in antitumor therapy.

Cordyceps cicadae Mycelia Ameliorate Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury by Suppressing the TLR4/NF-κB/MAPK and Activating the HO-1/Nrf2 and Sirt-1/AMPK Pathways in Mice

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinical problem, characterized by a sudden loss of renal function, a high risk of death, and the eventual development of renal fibrosis and renal failure. Cordyceps cicadae is a traditional Chinese medicine with the potential function of kidney protection. We analyze two sputum extracts, a water extract (WCC), and an ethanol extract (ECC), to assess the potential of treating AKI in an animal model of kidney injury induced by cisplatin. A nephrotoxic mouse model was first established by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin. Subsequently, WCC and ECC were orally administered in these mice. The results show that WCC and ECC significantly alleviated cisplatin-induced AKI renal histological changes, serum creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) production, and the levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were suppressed by administration of WCC and ECC. However, WCC treatment prevented these changes significantly better than ECC treatment. In addition, Western blot data showed that WCC attenuated the cisplatin-induced protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS), as well as inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in the kidney tissues. Furthermore, WCC greatly inhibited the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and cisplatin-induced NF-κB activation, as well as dramatically increasing the production of antioxidative enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)), silent information regulator T1 (Sirt1), and p-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the kidney tissues. In addition, we found that WCC increased the expression levels of the autophagy-related proteins LC3B and Beclin-1; proapoptotic proteins, including cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1; and organic anion transporters 1 (OAT1) and 3 (OAT3) in the kidney tissues. Finally, WCC, ECC, and two bioactive compounds-adenosine and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl) adenosine (HEA)-inhibited the production of nitrite oxide (NO) and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggered by lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages in vitro. Collectively, WCC could provide a potential therapeutic candidate for the prevention of cisplatin-induced kidney injury through the inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Dysregulation of renal transporters in a rodent model of viral Infection

Inflammation elicited by viral mimetic poly I:C has been shown to impose changes in the expression of drug transporters in the placenta and maternal liver in rats at term pregnancy. This was associated with altered drug disposition in the mother and fetus. Renal transporters play an important role in the elimination of several drugs taken by pregnant women. We examined the impact of poly I:C on the expression of renal transporters in pregnant rats at term. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received single intraperitoneal dose of either poly I:C (5 mg/kg) or saline at gestation day 18 (n = 8/group). Animals were euthanized 24 h after the injection. The mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and transporters were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot. Poly I:C caused a fourfold increase in the mRNA of IL-6 in the kidney. As compared to saline controls, the mRNA expression of Mrp2, Bcrp, Octn1, Oat1, Oat2, Oat3, Urat1, Oatp4c1, and Pept2 was downregulated, whereas the Ent1 mRNA was increased. Protein expression of Bcrp, Urat1 and Pept2 were significantly decreased. While there was a trend towards reduced Mrp2, Oat2 and Oat3 protein expression, this did not reach significance. Poly I:C did not impact mRNA levels of Mdr1a, Mdr1b, Mrp4, Oct1, Oct2, Oct3, Octn2, Mate1, Ent2 or Pept1. Viral-induced inflammation mediates significant changes in the expression of several key drug transporters in the kidney of pregnant rats. Many clinically important drugs are substrates for these transporters. Therefore, inflammation-mediated alterations in transporter expression could affect their maternal and fetal disposition.

Impact of Viral Inflammation on the Expression of Renal Drug Transporters in Pregnant Rats

Inflammation impacts the expression and function of drug transporters at term-gestation; however, the impact of inflammation on the expression of drug transporters at mid-gestation is largely unknown. Since renal drug transporters play a key role in the clearance of many drugs prescribed during pregnancy, our objective was to study the impact of the viral mimetic poly I:C on the expression of renal transporters in pregnant rats at mid-gestation. Poly I:C (10 mg/kg) or saline was administered intraperitoneally to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats on gestational day 14. Expression of renal transporters was measured at 6, 24, and 48 h by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The mRNA levels of Mdr1a, Mrp4, Oct2, Octn1, Octn2, Mate1, Oat1-3, Urat1, Oatp4c1, Ent1, and Pept2 were significantly lower in the poly I:C group at 6 h. At 24 h, only the mRNA levels of Oct2, Oatp4c1, and Ent1 were decreased compared to saline. Poly I:C significantly decreased protein expression of Urat1 at 24 h, and P-gp, Oct2, Mate1, Oat1, Oat3 at 48 h,. Poly I:C imposed significant reductions in the expression of several key renal transporters at mid-gestation in pregnant rats. Thus, viral infection may impact renal excretion of drug transporter substrates, potentially leading to drug-disease interactions.

Lycopene ameliorates oxidative stress in the aging chicken ovary via activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway

After 480 days of age, high-producing hens are likely to be subject to ovarian aging, mainly due to oxidative stress. In this study, the amelioration of ovarian aging in chickens, using a plant antioxidant, lycopene, was investigated. The activity of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in chicken ovaries at different ages (90, 150, 280 and 580 days old) were compared to elucidate any age-related changes. Subsequently, the putative attenuating effect of lycopene (100 ng/mL) on ovarian aging was evaluated through the establishment of a D-gal-induced aging ovarian culture model. The cultured ovarian tissues of young (280 days) and old (580 days) hens were treated with lycopene for 72 h to verify protective effects of lycopene on naturally aged ovaries. Results showed that the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway was down-regulated during the ovarian aging process. Lycopene rescued the decreased antioxidant capacity by increasing the activities of antioxidases and activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in both D-gal-induced and naturally aged ovaries. Moreover, lycopene promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in both D-gal-induced and naturally aged ovaries. Lycopene also alleviated D-gal-induced mitochondrial damage in the living granulosa cells. In conclusion, lycopene can effectively ameliorate the oxidative stress in aging hen ovaries via the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Protective effect of lycopene against chemical and natural toxins: A review

People are exposed to a number of environmental, occupational, and therapeutic toxic agents which may be natural or man made. These hazardous substances may manifest as direct side effects on the function of organs or indirectly induced alteration of gene expression, cancer-associated metabolic pathways, and/or alter homeostasis. Lycopene, as a one of the most potent antioxidant, is found in fruits and vegetables. High-intake of lycopene has been shown to be effective in decreasing the risk of both natural toxins including mycotoxins, bacterial toxins, and chemical toxins including heavy metals, pesticides as well as herbicides. Recently, there is growing attention in understanding the mechanisms of the phytochemicals and carotenoids as antioxidative, antiapoptotic, radical scavenging, and chelating agents and their roles in the modulation of inflammatory pathways. This review summarizes available data from several recent studies about lycopene and its role against chemical and natural toxicants. © 2018 BioFactors, 45(1):5-23, 2019.

Renal organic anion transporters in drug-drug interactions and diseases

The kidney plays a vital role in maintaining systemic homeostasis. Active tubular secretion and reabsorption, which are mainly mediated by transporters, is an efficient mechanism for retaining glucose, amino acids, and other nutrients and for the clearance of endogenous waste products and xenobiotics. These substances are recognized by uptake transporters located in the basolateral and apical membranes of renal proximal tubule cells and are extracted from plasma and urine. Organic anion transporters (OATs) belong to the solute carrier (SLC) 22 superfamily and facilitate organic anions across the plasma membranes of renal proximal tubule cells. OATs are responsible for the transmembrane transport of anionic and zwitterionic organic molecules, including endogenous substances and many drugs. The alteration in OAT expression and function caused by diseases, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) or other issues can thus change the renal disposition of substrates, induce the accumulation of toxic metabolites, and lead to unexpected clinically outcome. This review summarizes the recent information regarding the expression, regulation, and substrate spectrum of OATs and discusses the roles of OATs in diseases and DDIs. These findings will enables us to have a better understanding of the related disease therapy and the potential risk of DDIs mediated by OATs.

Magnesium co-administration decreases cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in the multiple cisplatin administration

PURPOSE

Pretreatment with magnesium (Mg) has been reported to attenuate cisplatin (CDDP)-induced nephrotoxicity (CIN). This attenuation involves modulation of the expression of renal transporters, resulting in reduced renal platinum accumulation after a single round of CDDP treatment. In this study, we investigated whether Mg co-administration ameliorates CIN after multiple doses of CDDP as effectively as after a single dose.

METHODS

Rats were divided into control, Mg alone, CDDP alone, and CDDP with Mg groups. Rats received CDDP (2.5mg/kg), MgSO₄ (40mg/kg), or saline once per week for three weeks. Seven days after the third round of treatment, the kidneys were excised, and the expression of renal transporters and renal platinum accumulation were analyzed.

RESULTS

CDDP significantly elevated serum creatinine levels, which were significantly reduced by Mg co-administration. Renal platinum accumulation was significantly lower in the CDDP-Mg group than in the CDDP group. Expression of renal organic cation transporter 2 (rOct2) and multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 1 (rMate1), which are involved in CDDP transport, did not differ between the groups. However, the expression of copper transporter 1 (rCtr1) was significantly downregulated after Mg co-administration.

CONCLUSION

Mg co-administration significantly attenuated CIN by reducing renal platinum accumulation even after multiple rounds of treatment with CDDP as effectively as in a model of a single CDDP administration. However, the specific underlying mechanism was different between single and multiple administrations, further studies will be needed to identify what contributes to this difference and to elucidate how Mg regulates the expression of renal transporters.

Effect of Disease Pathologies on Transporter Expression and Function

Transporters are important determinants of drug absorption, distribution, and excretion. The clinical relevance of drug transporters in drug disposition and toxicology depends on their localization in liver, kidney, and brain. There has been growing evidence regarding the importance of disease status on alterations in metabolizing enzymes and transporter proteins. This review focuses on uptake and efflux transporter proteins in liver, kidney, and brain and discusses mechanisms of altered transporter expression and function secondary to disease.

Magnesium attenuates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by regulating the expression of renal transporters

Cisplatin (CDDP)-induced nephrotoxicity (CIN) is one of the most serious toxicities caused by this potent antitumor agent. It has been reported that Mg premedication attenuates CIN in clinical trials; however, the mechanism underlying its nephroprotection is not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether Mg administration affects CDDP accumulation by regulating the expression level of renal transporters. Rats were divided into control, Mg (40mg/kg) alone, 2.5mg/kg CDDP with (20 and 40mg/kg) and without Mg, 5mg/kg CDDP groups. These substances were administered on the same day and 7 days later their kidneys were removed. The expression levels of renal transporters and platinum (Pt) accumulation were analyzed. The serum creatinine level was significantly increased by CDDP administration and treatment with Mg significantly ameliorated such elevation. The expressions of the renal organic cation transporter 2 (rOct2) and renal multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 1 (rMate1) were downregulated and upregulated, respectively following co-administration with Mg, which significantly reduced the renal Pt accumulation in the 2.5mg/kg CDDP-treated group. Moreover, Mg dose-dependently downregulated rOct2, not affecting rMate expression, resulting in the attenuation of CIN. Mg co-administration protected the downregulation of the transient receptor potential subfamily Melastatin 6 (rTrpm6), but not the epidermal growth factor (rEgf), as a result, Mg co-injection attenuated CDDP-induced hypomagnesemia. In conclusion, Mg co-administration reduced Pt accumulation by regulating the expression of the renal transporters, rOct2 and rMate1 and, thereby, attenuated CIN.

Phytotherapy of nephrotoxicity-induced by cancer drugs: an updated review

Context:

Kidney is one of the vital organs maintaining homeostasis of body and thus dysfunction of kidney affects quality of life and health severely. Anticancer drugs, particularly chemotherapeutic agents, cause high toxicity leading kidney dysfunction and irreparable kidney injury. Therefore, attention has recently been paid to seeking out alternatives such as nature-based drugs that are effective but less toxic. In this regard, this systematic review article is to report and introduce the most important medicinal plants and their derivatives that are used to reduce anticancer drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Evidence Acquisitions: The word nephrotoxicity alongside the words cancer or chemotherapy in combination with some herbal terms such as medicinal plant, plants, herbs, and extracts were administered to search for relevant publications indexed in PubMed.

Results:

According to this study, 16 medicinal plants, 12 plant-based derivatives, and three traditional plant-based formulations were found to help control and modulate anticancer drug-induced nephrotoxicity indices.

Conclusions:

Anticancer drugs cause nephrotoxicity through activating pathways of oxidative stress, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) production, inflammatory processes, and cell apoptosis, while medicinal plants and their derivatives can cause reduction in nephrotoxicity and anticancer drugs side effects via their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Ameliorative effect of lycopene effect on cisplatin-induced nephropathy in patient

Background:

Nephrotoxicity is one of the most important limitations of cisplatin-based chemotherapies which associated with many complications and high mortality rate.

Objectives:

To investigate the effect of lycopene on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in patients with cancer.

Patients and Methods:

In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 120 patients were randomly assigned to two groups, case (treated with lycopene + standard regimen of kidney injury prevention) and control (treated with only the standard regimen of kidney injury prevention). Lycopene was orally taken from 24 hours before to 72 hours after cisplatin administration. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Cr), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were measured and recorded. The data were analyzed using SPSS.

Results:

Changes in Cr were not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.131). However, a significant decreasing trend was seen in GFR during the study, which was more marked in the control group (P = 0.004). BUN significantly decreased during the study (P = 0.002), and a significant decrease of BUN on the day three in both groups was seen (P = 0.001). However, BUN increased in the case group on the day 21 of treatment. The corresponding increase was less marked in the control group.

Conclusions:

Lycopene can be considered a useful adjuvant therapy to decrease the complications due to cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in patients with cancer.

Plant-Derived Agents for Counteracting Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity

Cisplatin (CSP) is a chemotherapeutic agent commonly used to treat a variety of malignancies. The major setback with CSP treatment is that its clinical efficacy is compromised by its induction of organ toxicity, particular to the kidneys and ears. Despite the significant strides that have been made in understanding the mechanisms underlying CSP-induced renal toxicity, advances in developing renoprotective strategies are still lacking. In addition, the renoprotective approaches described in the literature reveal partial amelioration of CSP-induced renal toxicity, stressing the need to develop potent combinatorial/synergistic agents for the mitigation of renal toxicity. However, the ideal renoprotective adjuvant should not interfere with the anticancer efficacy of CSP. In this review, we have discussed the progress made in utilizing plant-derived agents (phytochemicals) to combat CSP-induced nephrotoxicity in preclinical studies. Furthermore, we have also presented strategies to utilize phytochemicals as prototypes for the development of novel renoprotective agents for counteracting chemotherapy-induced renal damage.

Lycopene attenuates colistin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice via activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway

Nephrotoxicity is the major dose-limiting factor for the clinical use of colistin against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of lycopene on colistin-induced nephrotoxicity in a mouse model. Fifty mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: the control group (saline solution), the lycopene group (20 mg/kg of body weight/day administered orally), the colistin group (15 mg/kg/day administered intravenously), the colistin (15 mg/kg/day) plus lycopene (5 mg/kg/day) group, and the colistin (15 mg/kg/day) plus lycopene (20 mg/kg/day) group; all mice were treated for 7 days. At 12 h after the last dose, blood was collected for measurements of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine levels. The kidney tissue samples were obtained for examination of biomarkers of oxidative stress and apoptosis, histopathological assessment, and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. Colistin treatment significantly increased concentrations of BUN and serum creatinine, tubular apoptosis/necrosis, lipid peroxidation, and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) activity, while the treatment decreased the levels of endogenous antioxidant biomarkers glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Notably, the changes in the levels of all biomarkers were attenuated in the kidneys of mice treated with colistin by lycopene (5 or 20 mg/kg). Lycopene treatment, especially in the colistin plus lycopene (20 mg/kg) group, significantly downregulated the expression of NF-κB mRNA (P < 0.01) but upregulated the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and HO-1 mRNA (both P < 0.01) in the kidney compared with the results seen with the colistin group. Our data demonstrated that coadministration of 20 mg/kg/day lycopene can protect against colistin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. This effect may be attributed to the antioxidative property of lycopene and its ability to activate the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.