Effects of quercetin on kidney injury induced by doxorubicin

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The anthracycline antitumor drug doxorubicine causes severe nephrotoxicity in a variety of experimental animals and may be nephrotoxic to humans. The aim of present study was to determine the protective effects of quercetin against doxorubicin-induced kidney injury with light microscopy. METHODS: Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: control, doxorubicin, doxorubicin + quercetin and quercetin. A single dose of 20 mg/kg/i.p. doxorubicin was used to induce injury. Quercetin was administrated orally against doxorubicin toxicity. The kidneys were examined under light microscopy after H&E (hematoxylin-eosin) staining and the changes were scored. RESULTS: Significant tissue injury was observed in doxorubicin-administered group. Among these injuries, renal tubular dilatation, tubular vacuolar changes, glomerular vacuolization, decrease in bowman space, bowman capsule thickening, and interstitial infiltration were evident. However, the injury induced by doxorubicin was attenuated with quercetin administration. DISCUSSION: Quercetin decreased doxorubicin-induced kidney damage (Tab. 1, Fig. 4, Ref. 27).