Protective effect of melatonin and agomelatine on adriamycin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat model: a renal scintigraphy and biochemical study.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine the possible protective effects of melatonin and agomelatine on an animal model of adriamycin nephrotoxicity by 99mTc DMSA renal scintigraphy and biochemical methods.

METHODS

Ten weeks old 49 male Wistar rats were randomly separated into seven groups; namely control (CON), adriamycin (ADR), melatonin (MEL), agomelatine (AGO), melatonin + adriamycin (MEL+ADR), agomelatine + adriamycin (AGO+ADR) and melatonin + agomelatine + adriamycin (MEL+AGO+ADR) groups. Nephrotoxicity was induced by a three-dose of 18 mg/kg adriamycin, i.p. at a 24 h interval on the 5th, 6th and 7th days. A dose of melatonin and agomelatine (40 mg/kg/i.p, the same doses) were injected for 7 days before and after the injected of ADR (18 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively. On the 8th day of the experiment, all animals were evaluated and scintigraphic and biochemical parameters were assessed, respectively.

RESULTS

ADR significantly increased blood urea nitrogen (1040 %) and plasma creatinine (1020 %), and decreased 99mTc DMSA uptake levels (59 %) compared to the control (p < 0.001). Pretreatment with MEL, AGO, MEL+AGO mitigated these abnormalities produced by ADR in the kidney (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

99mTc DMSA for the early determination of ADR-induced nephrotoxicity had an important role. Also, a significant correlation was found between biochemical and scintigraphy parameters. Adriamycin caused significant damages to kidneys that were reduced with MEL and AGO (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 39).