Protective effects of berberine as a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent against nephrotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide in mice

• Published in: Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology Vol. 395; no. 2; pp. 187 - 194
• Main Authors: Mombeini, Mohammad Amin, Kalantar, Hadi, Sadeghi, Elahe, Goudarzi, Mehdi, Khalili, Hamidreza, Kalantar, Mojtaba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.02.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-inflammatory agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating - toxicity; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Berberine; Berberine - pharmacology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Catalase; Creatinine; Cyclophosphamide; Cyclophosphamide - toxicity; Gelatinase; Glutathione peroxidase; IL-1β; Inflammation; Inflammation Mediators - metabolism; Interleukin 1; Interleukin-1beta - metabolism; Kidney Diseases - chemically induced; Kidney Diseases - prevention & control; Kidneys; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Lipocalin; Male; Malondialdehyde; Mice; Neurosciences; Nitric oxide; Original Article; Oxidants; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Serum levels; Superoxide dismutase; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; Berberine; Oxidative stress; Cyclophosphamide; Inflammation; Nephrotoxicity
• ISSN: 0028-1298; 1432-1912; 1432-1912
• DOI: 10.1007/s00210-021-02182-3

Purpose Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent with nephrotoxicity that constrains its clinical application. Berberine is an isoquinoline derivative alkaloid with biological functions like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. The current research intended to examine the nephroprotective impacts of berberine against cyclophosphamide-stimulated nephrotoxicity. Methods Forty animal subjects were randomly separated into five categories of control (Group I), cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg, i.p., on 7th day) (Group II), and groups III and IV that received berberine 50 and 100 mg/kg orally for seven days and a single injection of cyclophosphamide on 7th day. Group V as berberine (100 mg/kg, alone). On day 8, blood samples were drawn from the retro-orbital sinus to determine serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) as biomarkers for kidney injury. Nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities as oxidative stress factors, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) levels as inflammatory mediators were assessed in kidney tissue. Results The results of this study demonstrated that berberine was able to protect remarkably the kidney from CP-induced injury through decreasing the level of BUN, Cr, NGAL, KIM-1, NO, MDA TNF-α, IL-1β and increasing the level of GSH, CAT, SOD, and GPx activities. Conclusion Berberine may be employed as a natural agent to prevent cyclophosphamide-induced nephrotoxicity through anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.