<i>Nigella sativa</i> Oil for Prevention of Chronic Cyclosporine Nephrotoxicity: An Experimental Model

Abstract

Nephrotoxicity is the main secondary effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment. The antioxidant action of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) may explain the protective effect of these agents against various hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic models in vivo and in vitro. This study was designed to investigate the possible protective effects of NSO, in prevention of chronic CsA-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Animals were randomly divided into four experimental groups: the control group received sunflower oil, the other groups were treated with CsA (25 mg/kg/day b.w. orally) or NSO (2 ml/kg orally) or CsA + NSO, respectively. Urine and serum creatinine levels, tissue superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase enzyme activities, and nitric oxide and malondialdehyde levels were measured, and histological examination was performed. In our study, CsA caused a significant deterioration in the renal function, morphology and gave rise to severe oxidative stress in the kidney. NSO significantly improved the functional and histological parameters and attenuated the oxidative stress induced by CsA. In conclusion, our study demonstrated for the first time that NSO protects kidney tissue against oxygen free radicals, preventing renal dysfunction and morphological abnormalities associated with chronic CsA administration.

A review on therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa: A miracle herb

“…NSO significantly improved the functional and histological parameters and attenuated the oxidative stress induced by CsA. NSO protects kidney tissue against oxygen free radicals, preventing renaldysfunction and morphological abnormalities associated with chronic CsA administration [94] . Administration of N. sativa with GM intra-peritonealinjection resulted in significantly decreased creatinine, urea, MDA, NO generation and increased SOD and GSH-Px activities when compared with GM group suggesting nephro-protective activity.…”

Beneficial effect of ubiquinol, the reduced form of coenzyme Q10, on cyclosporine nephrotoxicity

“…RCoQ10 also diminished TGF-beta expression in the proximal renal tubular cells. There are several animal and clinical studies suggesting that antioxidative agents have some preventive effect of CyA nephrotoxicity (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). In 2004, Dlugosz et al reported the benefit of CoQ10 on renal transplant recipients for the first time (13); however, they used ubiquinone, the oxidized form of CoQ10.…”

Antidiabetic Properties of a Spice Plant Nigella sativa

“…The polymer is far less toxic but retains much of the pharmacologic properties of TQ, which is the active principle of the plant. The pharmacological actions of the seeds of Nigella sativa or its constituents that have been reported include protection against nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by either disease or chemicals [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. The seeds/oil have anti-inflammatory [15], analgesic [4], antipyretic [16], spasmolytic [17], bronchodialator [17], antihistaminic [18], antihypertensive [19], antitumor [20], antioxidant [18], antineoplastic [9,21,22], antifertility [23], antibacterial [24], antifungal [25], antiprotozoal [26], anthelmintic [27] and insecticidal [28] activities.…”