Evaluation of efficacy of natural astaxanthin and vitamin E in prevention of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity in the rat model

- Colistin is an efficient antibiotic. However, nephrotoxicity is the major adverse effect that impedes its administration in high doses.
- Recently, oxidative stress is considered to play a key role in colistin-induced nephrotoxicity.
- Moreover, An attention was focused on the role of some antioxidants in offering therapeutic opportunities.
- The co-treatment with vit E or ASX plus CMS restored biochemical (GGT, MDA, SOD, CAT, GPx) and histopathological damage.
- This nephrotoxicity might be due to oxidant stress. Reno-protection could be due to antioxidant effects of ASX and vit E.

ObjectiveWe evaluated the effect of astaxanthin (ASX) and vitamin E (vit E) on colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) induced-nephrotoxicity in rats.MethodsAnimals were treated with sterile saline, 300 000 or 450 000 IU/kg/day of CMS, CMS + ASX (20 mg/kg), CMS + vit E (100 mg/kg), or CMS + 1 ml/kg olive oil (OO) for 7 days. The plasma/urine creatinine (Cr) level, urine γ-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) level, and renal tissue activities in malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reductase (GSH), as well as renal histology were performed.ResultsCMS induced a tubular damage, increased the GGT and MDA levels, and decreased the activities of SOD, CAT, GPx and GSH. Co-treatment with ASX or vit E restored all biochemical parameters cited above and improved the histopathological damage.ConclusionNephrotoxicity induced by CMS might be due to oxidative damage. The improvement by ASX or vit E seems to be related to their antioxidant properties.