Protective effect of melatonin and agomelatine on adriamycin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat model: a renal scintigraphy and biochemical study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the possible protective effects of melatonin and agomelatine on an animal model of adriamycin nephrotoxicity by 99mTc DMSA renal scintigraphy and biochemical methods.

METHODS: Ten weeks old 49 male Wistar rats were randomly separated into seven groups; namely control (CON), adriamycin (ADR), melatonin (MEL), agomelatine (AGO), melatonin + adriamycin (MEL+ADR), agomelatine + adriamycin (AGO+ADR) and melatonin + agomelatine + adriamycin (MEL+AGO+ADR) groups. Nephrotoxicity was induced by a three-dose of 18 mg/kg adriamycin, i.p. at a 24 h interval on the 5th, 6th and 7th days. A dose of melatonin and agomelatine (40 mg/kg/i.p, the same doses) were injected for 7 days before and after the injected of ADR (18 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively. On the 8th day of the experiment, all animals were evaluated and scintigraphic and biochemical parameters were assessed, respectively.

RESULTS: ADR significantly increased blood urea nitrogen (1040 %) and plasma creatinine (1020 %), and decreased 99mTc DMSA uptake levels (59 %) compared to the control (p < 0.001). Pretreatment with MEL, AGO, MEL+AGO mitigated these abnormalities produced by ADR in the kidney (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: 99mTc DMSA for the early determination of ADR-induced nephrotoxicity had an important role. Also, a significant correlation was found between biochemical and scintigraphy parameters. Adriamycin caused significant damages to kidneys that were reduced with MEL and AGO (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 39).