Acai-berry ameliorates Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats; insights on oxidative stress and apoptotic machineries

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

2 Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, Cairo, Egypt

3 Drug Design Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Acute kidney injury is a complicated disease with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent used for the treatment of many neoplasms including testicular, ovarian, and breast cancer. However, it was reported to be directly associated with renal toxicity. Acai-berry was found to possess antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of acai-berry on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups: control group, cisplatin-treated group (7 mg/kg), cisplatin and acai-berry (300 mg/kg)-treated group, and acai-berry alone-treated group. Cisplatin treatment induced histopathological changes in renal tubules, as well as enhancing the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. Moreover, cisplatin treatment induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in renal tissues via its effect on reduced glutathione (GSH), nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor-2 (Nrf-2), Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3. On the other hand, acai-berry treatment protected kidney tissues from the toxic effects of cisplatin and lowered serum BUN and creatinine. Furthermore, acai-berry prevented oxidative stress by enhancing GSH and Nrf-2 levels. In addition, acai-berry counteracted apoptosis induced by cisplatin via reducing Bax/Bcl2 and caspase-3 expression. Therefore, acai-berry may be a promising nephroprotective solution for many cancer patients on cisplatin treatment.

Keywords

Archives of Pharmaceutical Sciences Ain Shams University
Volume 9, Issue 2
Special issue in Pharmacology and Toxicology: Innovative Pharmacological Interventions for Different Diseases
October 2025
Pages 323-335

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics