Cyclophosphamide-induced renal damage in nude mice prevented by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal mixture LQ.

Abstract

e22210 Background: Renal damage is a dose-limiting side effects of cyclophosphamide (CYC). In the current study, we determined if a TCM herbal mixture LQ could be protective against CYC renal toxicity. Methods: Mice were treated with CYC or CYC+LQ. The histology of each organ was observed under microscopy after H&E staining. Results: The histology of the heart, liver, spleen, lung and intestine showed normal histopathological structure in all groups. The kidney of the CYC-treated mice showed toxicity including the glomeruli, the tubules, and the interstitium. The structures of the cortex in CYC pretreated group showed a disconnection between glomeruli and tubules. The ducts in the medulla were destroyed. In contrast, the kidneys in the control mice, LQ-treated mice, and CYC+LQ-treated mice showed normal architecture of the kidney cortex and medulla. In the untreated controls and the CYC+LQ-treated mice, the cortex showed normal renal corpuscles, proximal convoluted tubules, and distal convoluted tubules. The inner medulla and outer medulla all contained a thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle, and interstitial connective tissue. LQ also protected against weight loss and cachexia induced by CYC. Conclusions: TCM is a promising for combination with CYC to reduce toxicity.