Garlic oil as an effective protective agent against cyclosporine-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

In this work, thirty adult male albino rats were used to study the possible beneficial effect of garlic oil (GO) in preventing renal injury and related oxidative stress caused by administration of cyclosporine (Cs A) in rats in an attempt to understand its mechanism of action. Rats were divided into three groups having 10 rats in each. Group I was given olive oil; group II was given Cs A (25 mg/kg body weight daily for 3 weeks); and group III were given GO orally (5 ml/kg body weight) 30 min before Cs A administration for 3 weeks. At the end of the experimental period blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, fractional excretion of sodium (FENa), microalbumin excretion, total protein and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase were determined, while the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated by creatinine clearance. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was used as biomarker for testing the antioxidant potential of the drug as well as the changes in serum nitric oxide (NO) levels. The study showed that Cs A induced oxidative stress, as indicated by increased plasma levels of MDA and serum NO levels, and deteriorated the renal function as assessed by increased serum BUN, creatinine, microalbumin, FENa and NAG while the total protein and the GFR was significantly lower compared with control rats. GO significantly attenuated renal dysfunction and the reduction in serum NO levels and counteracted the deleterious effects of Cs A on MDA while the GFR was significantly high. In addition, fractional excretion of sodium and NAG were significantly inhibited following GO administration. Hence, GO has a strong potential to be used as a therapeutic adjuvant in Cs A nephrotoxicity.