Abstract
Background and Objective: Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent, while its usage is limited due to its nephrotoxicity. Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This study aimed to investigate if OLE can protect against cisplatin-nephrotoxicity. Materials and Methods: Six groups were used, group 1: Control, group 2: Received 1000 mg kg(-1) b.wt., OLE daily for 10 days via oral tubes, group 3: Received a single dose of cisplatin (7 mg kg(-1) b.wt.) intraperitoneally on the 5th day and group 4-6: Received 250, 500 and 1000 mg kg(-1) b.wt., OLE daily for 10 days, respectively and a cisplatin intraperitoneal injection (7 mg kg(-1) b.wt.) on the 5th day. The ratio of kidney weight to body weight was calculated. Renal function tests, histopathology, level of renal malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione, immunohistochemical detection of NF-B-k and cytochrome c, the renal level of TNF-alpha, caspase-9 and DNA fragmentation were determined. Results: Cisplatin induced a significant elevation of kidney weight to body weight ratio, serum Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, MDA, TNF-alpha and caspase-9 in kidney. Cisplatin increased the NF-B-k activation, cytochrome C expression and DNA fragmentation were also detected. However, cisplatin decreased serum albumin and renal glutathione content. The OLE pre-treatment significantly ameliorated cisplatin nephrotoxicity with the highest dose nearly normalized all measured parameters. Conclusion: The OLE is a promising nephroprotective agent against cisplatin nephrotoxicity possibly through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activity.