Preventive and Curative Activity of Garlic Extract on Gentamicin-Induced Oxidative Stress

Nephrotoxicity is a serious side effect of using gentamicin. Garlic is an important component in the complementary medicine. The aim of this study was to find out whether garlic has ameliorative effects on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity.

50 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups of 10; I: They kept in the same condition as others without receiving any drug for 10 days and then sacrificed. II: Rats in this group were injected intraperitoneally (i. p.) with 100 mg/kg of gentamicin for 10 consecutive days and then sacrificed. Group III: Rats in this group received garlic juice 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally for 10 days and then sacrificed. IV: Rats in this group received gentamicin for 10 days، then received 20 mg/kg garlic intraperitoneally for the next 10 days and then sacrificed on day 20th. V: Rats in this group received a combination of intraperitoneal gentamicin and garlic 20 mg/kg for 10 days and then sacrificed. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) were measured and the kidneys were processed for histopathological examinations. All specimens were examined for morphologic parameters involving tubular cells.

The post administration of garlic after gentamicin treatment potentially attenuated the serum levels of BUN and Cr. The pathology damage scores indicated that post administration of garlic after 10 days of gentamicin treatment attenuated the damage score significantly.

We concluded that garlic is a nephroprotective drug to attenuate tubular injury by gentamicin.