Silymarin mitigates tartrazine-induced fetal nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress following gestational exposure in rats.

BACKGROUND

Tartrazine is synthetical dye broadly used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals products, and is known to possess embryotoxic and teratogenic properties. Silymarin, a natural compound derived from milk thistle, has potent antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties. This study evaluate role of silymarin on nephrotoxicity caused by tartrazine in albino rat fetuses.

METHODS

Twelve pregnant albino rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control, tartrazine (7.5 mg/kg/day), silymarin (100 mg/kg/day), and tartrazine plus silymarin. Treatments were administered orally from gestational day 6 to day 19. On gestational day 20, the dams were euthanized, and fetal kidneys were collected for morphometric, biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical analyses.

RESULTS

Maternal tartrazine exposure significantly reduced of changes of maternal body weight (24.2 ± 1.2, P < 0.01) and increased fetal mortality (1.7 ± 0.6 vs. 0 ± 0 in controls). Fetuses from tartrazine group exhibited significantly lower body weight (1.7 ± 0.1 g), crown-rump length (2.8 ± 0.1 cm), kidney weight (0.01 ± 0 mg), renal Width (1.9 ± 0.1 mm) and Length (2.7 ± 0.1 mm, P < 0.01) compared with controls. Serum urea, creatinine, and nitric oxide levels increased significantly, whereas glutathione levels decreased (8.7 ± 0.1, P < 0.01). Histological examination revealed glomerular atrophy, tubular dilatation, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and impaired renal architecture. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated increased TNF-α expression and decreased Ki-67 immunoreactivity. Co-administration of silymarin significantly ameliorated these biochemical, morphometric, histological, and immunohistochemical alterations.

CONCLUSION

Silymarin demonstrated significant protective role, counteracting adverse effects of tartrazine through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.