The Effect of Acetylcysteine on Renal Function in Experimental Models of Cyclophosphamide-and Ifosfamide-Induced Cystitis

Effects of Zofenopril and Thymoquinone in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Urotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity in Rats; The Value of Their Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties

Objective

The study aimed to investigate whether zofenopril (ZOF), thymoquinone (TQ), or their co-administration effectively ameliorates urotoxicity and nephrotoxicity following cyclophosphamide (CPH) treatment.

Methods

A total of 48 Wister Albino female rats were divided into six groups each of eight rats; negative control (NC), positive control (PC), mesna (MS), ZOF, TQ, and ZOF+TQ groups. Normal saline, mesna, ZOF-15mg/kg, TQ-80mg/kg, and their combination were given orally for 19 days to the groups NC, MS, ZOF, TQ, and ZOF+TQ respectively. On the 17th day, a single dose of CPH 200 mg/kg was given intraperitoneally for all the groups except the NC group. Urine was collected over 24 hours before animal scarification for urinalysis. After scarification, blood, and kidney tissue were obtained for assessment of conventional kidney function parameters, novel kidney injury biomarkers, pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative status, complete blood count (CBC), and histopathological examination.

Results

CPH disturbed the urinary excretion of urea, creatinine, and protein, and significantly elevated novel biomarkers for kidney injury including cystatin-C (Cys-C) (p=0.019) and markedly kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) (p=0.27), the semiquantitative measurement of hematuria revealed significant elevation of hematuria score (p=0.0002), urine pus and protein (p=0.0005). Additionally, CBC-derived inflammatory biomarkers including neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p=0.001), neutrophil-monocyte ratio (NMR) (p=0.0004), pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 (p=0.016) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (p<=0.007), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (p<0.0001) were significantly increased. Evidence of obvious histopathological structural alteration was noticed in kidney tissue and bladder urothelium in CPH-treated animals. ZOF, TQ, and their co-treatment significantly prevented these deleterious effects associated with CPH treatment.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that ZOF and TQ provided uroprotective and nephroprotective effects against CPH-induced nephrotoxicity by reducing kidney injury biomarkers, and CBC-derived inflammatory markers, restoring antioxidant capacity, and improving histopathological outcomes. The suggested mechanism involves the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of TQ and the sulfhydryl-angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor ZOF.

Ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity in oncological patients

INTRODUCTION

Ifosfamide is an alkylating chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of various neoplasms. Its main adverse effects include renal damage.

AREAS COVERED

A comprehensive review was conducted, including 100 articles from the Scielo, Scopus, and EMBASE databases. Ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity is attributed to its toxic metabolites, such as acrolein and chloroacetaldehyde, which cause mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress in renal tubular cells. Literature review found a 29-year average age with no gender predominance and a mortality of 13%. Currently, no fully effective strategy exists for preventing ifosfamide-induced nephrotoxicity; however, hydration, forced diuresis, and other interventions are employed to limit renal damage. Long-term renal function monitoring is essential for patients treated with ifosfamide.

EXPERT OPINION

Ifosfamide remains essential in neoplasm treatment, but nephrotoxicity, often compounded by coadministered drugs, poses diagnostic challenges. Preventive strategies are lacking, necessitating further research. Identifying timely risk factors can mitigate renal damage, and a multidisciplinary approach manages established nephrotoxicity. Emerging therapies may reduce ifosfamide induced nephrotoxicity.

TLR4/Inflammasomes Cross-Talk and Pyroptosis Contribute to N-Acetyl Cysteine and Chlorogenic Acid Protection against Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin (Cp) is an antineoplastic agent with a dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. Cp-induced nephrotoxicity is characterized by the interplay of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Toll-4 receptors (TLR4) and NLPR3 inflammasome are pattern-recognition receptors responsible for activating inflammatory responses and are assigned to play a significant role with gasdermin (GSDMD) in acute kidney injuries. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) have documented nephroprotective effects by suppressing oxidative and inflammatory pathways. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the contribution of the upregulation of TLR4/inflammasomes/gasdermin signaling to Cp-induced nephrotoxicity and their modulation by NAC or CGA.

METHODS

A single injection of Cp (7 mg/kg, i.p.) was given to Wistar rats. Rats received either NAC (250 mg/kg, p.o.) and/or CGA (20 mg/kg, p.o.) one week before and after the Cp injection.

RESULTS

Cp-induced acute nephrotoxicity was evident by the increased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and histopathological insults. Additionally, nephrotoxicity was associated with increased lipid peroxidation, reduced antioxidants, and elevated levels of inflammatory markers (NF-κB and TNF-α) in the kidney tissues. Moreover, Cp upregulated both TLR4/NLPR3/interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and caspase-1/GSDMD-signaling pathways, accompanied by an increased Bax/BCL-2 ratio, indicating an inflammatory-mediated apoptosis. Both NAC and/or CGA significantly corrected these changes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasizes that inhibition of TLR4/NLPR3/IL-1β/GSDMD might be a novel mechanism of the nephroprotective effects of NAC or CGA against Cp-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Morin provides therapeutic effect by attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, apoptosis, and oxidative DNA damage in testicular toxicity caused by ifosfamide in rats

Objectives

In the present study, it was evaluated whether morin has a protective effect on testicular toxicity caused by ifosfamide (IFOS), which is used in the treatment of various malignancies.

Materials and Methods

For this purpose, 100 or 200 mg/kg morin was given to Sprague Dawley rats for 2 days, and a single dose (500 mg/kg) IFOS was administered on the 2nd day. At the 24th hr of IFOS administration, animals were decapitated and testicular tissues were taken and the status of oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), autophagy, and apoptosis markers were analyzed by biochemical, molecular, and histopathological methods.

Results

According to the data obtained, it was determined that IFOS caused oxidative stress in testicular tissues. It was observed that inflammation, ERS, autophagy, apoptosis, and oxidative DNA damage occurred with oxidative stress. Morin treatment suppressed oxidative stress. Morin showed anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TNF-α and IL-1β protein levels. It also increased the mRNA transcript levels of the ERS marker ATF-6, PERK, IRE1, GRP-78, and CHOP genes, and the apoptosis marker genes Bax, Casp-3, and apaf-1. It up-regulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 gene and the cell survival signal AKT-2 gene. Morin caused a decrease in beclin-1 protein levels and showed an anti-autophagic effect. In addition, morin attenuated oxidative DNA damage and decreased 8-OHdG immune-positive cell numbers.

Conclusion

As a result, it was observed that IFOS caused cellular damage by activating various signaling pathways in testicular tissue, while morin exhibited protective properties against this damage.

Ifosfamide‐induced acute kidney injury in a patient with leiomyosarcoma: A case report

Background

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma that is derived from smooth muscles. Ifosfamide is in use for advanced metastatic LMS.

Case

A‐44‐years old woman with a chief complaint of pain in the epigastric area, itching, coughing, nausea, and vomiting was referred to the emergency department. Her medical history was LMS. She had taken Ifosfamide and mesna in her last chemotherapy. Seventy percent of her liver and her left kidney were removed 4 years ago to prevent the progress of the disease. Because of the increase in the level of creatinine and urea in the initial laboratory report, a Shaldon catheter was inserted for the patient, and she was under emergency dialysis for 3 h. In addition, during the six‐day hospitalization period, dialysis was done two times. Finally, the patient was discharged with improved clinical tests accompanied by a twice‐weekly dialysis order.

Conclusion

Ifosfamide is metabolized into chloroacetaldehyde, which can cause acute kidney injury. Recovery from acute kidney injury may not always be perfect and can lead to some degree of chronic kidney disease. Opposite to hemorrhagic cystitis, mesna is not effective in preventing ifosfamide's nephrotoxicity and N‐acetylcysteine may be effective in the prevention of this nephrotoxicity.

Nephrotoxicity in cancer treatment: An update

It has been estimated that nearly 80% of anticancer drug-treated patients receive potentially nephrotoxic drugs, while the kidneys play a central role in the excretion of anticancer drugs. Nephrotoxicity has long been a serious complication that hampers the effectiveness of cancer treatment and continues to influence both mortality and length of hospitalization among cancer patients exposed to either conventional cytotoxic agents or targeted therapies. Kidney injury arising from anticancer drugs tends to be associated with preexisting comorbidities, advanced cancer stage, and the use of concomitant non-chemotherapeutic nephrotoxic drugs. Despite the prevalence and impact of kidney injury on therapeutic outcomes, the field is sorely lacking in an understanding of the mechanisms driving cancer drug-induced renal pathophysiology, resulting in quite limited and largely ineffective management of anticancer drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Consequently, there is a clear imperative for understanding the basis for nephrotoxic manifestations of anticancer agents for the successful management of kidney injury by these drugs. This article provides an overview of current preclinical research on the nephrotoxicity of cancer treatments and highlights prospective approaches to mitigate cancer therapy-related renal toxicity.

Effect of a Low Dose of Carvedilol on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Urinary Toxicity in Rats—A Comparison with Mesna

One of the major side effects of cyclophosphamide (CPX)—an alkylating anticancer drug that is still clinically used—is urotoxicity with hemorrhagic cystitis. The present study was designed to evaluate the ability of carvedilol to protect rats from cyclophosphamide-induced urotoxicity. Rats were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with CPX (200 mg/kg) and administered carvedilol (2 mg/kg) intragastrically a day before, at the day and a day after a single i.p. injection of CPX, with or without mesna (40, 80, and 80 mg/kg i.p. 20 min before, 4 h and 8 h after CPX administration, respectively). Pretreatment with carvedilol partly prevented the CPX-induced increase in urinary bladder and kidney index, and completely protects from CPX-evoked alterations in serum potassium and creatinine level, but did not prevent histological alterations in the urinary bladder and hematuria. However, carvedilol administration resulted in significant restoration of kidney glutathione (GSH) level and a decrease in kidney interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentrations. Not only did mesna improve kidney function, but it also completely reversed histological abnormalities in bladders and prevented hematuria. In most cases, no significant interaction of carvedilol with mesna was observed, although the effect of both drugs together was better than mesna given alone regarding plasma ADMA level and kidney IL-1β concentration. In conclusion, carvedilol did not counteract the injury caused in the urinary bladders but restored kidney function, presumably via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.