The protective effect of glycyrrhizin against chemotherapy-related toxicity in kidneys of rats: An experimental approach

Abstract

Chemotherapy is the most important treatment of neoplastic diseases and many antineoplastic agents have been developed for cancer treatment. A commonly used anticancer agent in chemotherapy is cyclophosphamide (CP). Despite the protective effect of CP against tumors, its use is limited due to nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, urotoxicity, neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, teratogenicity, and immunotoxicity. Glycyrrhizin (GLZ) being a triterpenoid saponin, exhibits anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. In this experiment, the reformative effect of GLZ against chemotherapy-related toxicity in the kidneys of rats was assessed. Twenty-eight rats into four equal groups as control, CP, CP+GLZ100, and CP+GLZ200 were used. Histopathological examination showed tubular degeneration, luminal casts, tubular cystic dilatation, hemorrhages, mononuclear cells infiltration in cortical and medullary areas, periglomerular inflammation, and glomerular hypercellularity in the CP-treated group. The significantly improved results were evaluated in the groups that received GLZ, especially the CP+GLZ200 group. Specific immunopositivity with 8-OHdG and less specific immunopositivity with BCL-2 markers were recorded in the CP-treated group. GLZ groups revealed less immunopositivity of 8-OHdG and specific immunopositivity of Bcl-2. Both the histopathological findings and immunohisto chemical results of 8-OHdG and Bcl-2 in this study are strongly supporting the ameliorating effect of GLZ on chemotherapy-induced nephrotoxicity.