Renoprotective effect of Nigella sativa against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress in rat.

Cisplatin is one of the important antineoplastic drugs. Its clinical use has been restricted due to severe kidney toxicity. Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is an herbaceous plant with many pharmacologic effects. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effects of aqueous-ethanolic extract of N. sativa and Vitamin E on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Eighty male rats were divided into eight groups: control, cisplatin (6 mg/kg; ip), preventive Vitamin E (100 mg/kg), preventive N. sativa (100,200 mg/kg), preventive + treatment Vitamin E, and preventive + treatment N. sativa (100, 200 mg/kg). Duration of this study was 11 days and cisplatin was injected on the 6th day of the experiment. Tissue damage in all groups that received N. sativa extract and Vitamin E showed a significant improvement compared with the cisplatin group. In addition, serum and tissue total thiol content in preventive and preventive + treatment N. sativa groups showed significant increase compared with cisplatin group. There was no significant difference in serum malondialdehyde concentration of the control rats compared with the preventive and preventive + treatment N. sativa groups. N. sativa extract and viamin E improved the pathology and oxidative stress in the rat kidney. However, more studies are needed to determine the mechanism of action of N. sativa on cisplatin-induced kidney toxicity.