Ginger Essential Oil Ameliorates Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Mice

Marcio J Damião¹, Gisele Giannocco², Renata Grespan¹, Expedito L Silva³, Janaina S Duarte², Rui MB Maciel², Alciléia N Yamada¹, Ciomar A Bersani-Amado¹ and Roberto KN Cuman¹*

¹Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, ²Department of Endocrinology, Federal University of São Paulo, CEP 04039002, São Paulo, ³Department of Chemistry, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil

*For correspondence: Email: rkncuman@uem.br; Tel: 55-44-30114867; Fax: 55-44-30114999.

Received: 25 June 2013                                 Revised accepted: 16 October 2013

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, December 2013; 12(6): 959-965

Purpose: To investigate the effect of ginger essential oil (GEO) in an experimental model of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Methods: Male mice were divided into treatment six groups (n = 7), namely: Groups I (saline), II and III (cisplatin, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) euthanized in 3^th and 6^th days, respectively, and IV, V and IV (GEO, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/day, respectively, by gavage 3, 4, 5 and 6 days after cisplatin injection). Creatinine levels and protein/creatinine ratio were determined in plasma and urine, respectively. Bone morphogenic protein (BMP-7) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a) levels of kidney tissues were determined while mRNA expression levels were obtained using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results: GEO treatment reduced significantly creatinine levels to 0.53 ± 0.02;          0.48 ± 0.008 and 0.46 ± 0.02 at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, compared with control (0.70 ± 0.01) [p<0.05] but increased protein : creatinine ratio to 0.21 ± 0.01, 0.22 ± 0.01, 0.24 ± 0.02 compared with control (0.06 ± 0.008) [p<0.05]. Pro-inflammatory TNF-a mRNA expression was decreased to 1.46 ± 0.21, 1.39 ± 0.19 and 1.36 ± 0.09, at GEO doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, while anti-fibrotic BMP-7 mRNA expression increased to 2.05 ± 0.26 and 2.44 ± 0.42 at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, compared with control (0.59 ± 0.39, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: GEO treatment attenuates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, in part, by modulating some inflammatory cytokines.