Protective Effects of Melissa officinalis L. Extract on Gentamicin-induced Renal Failure in Diabetic Rats

Gentamicin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used in the treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections. One of the side effects of this antibiotic is nephrotoxicity. In this study, the protective effect of Melissa officinalis L. extract on diabetes- and gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity was studied.

Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. The first group received distilled water, and the second group received M. officinalis L. extract (100 mg/kg) for 28 days. The third group received streptozocin (60 mg/kg) for 18 days, and then received gentamicin (80 mg/kg) on day 20 for 8 consecutive days. The fourth group received streptozocin, gentamicin, and M. officinalis L. extract for 28 days. Serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, glucose, and amylases were measured. The right kidney was maintained in 10% formalin for hematoxylin and eosin staining, and oxidative stress markers in the left kidney were assessed.

In the third group, serum BUN, creatinine, glucose, amylase, and malondialdehyde (MDA) increased, while glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities decreased significantly compared to the other groups (P<0.05). The extract of M. officinalis L. significantly inhibited the enhancement of serum creatinine, BUN, glucose, amylase, and MDA (P<0.05). Histological examinations showed that diabetes and gentamicin could lead to kidney damage by inducing necrosis and inflammation. Finally, the extract of M. officinalis L. could significantly reduce the adverse effects of both gentamicin and diabetes (P<0.05).

The extract of M. officinalis L. improves biochemical parameters and histological lesions in diabetic rats treated with gentamicin.