Evaluation of preventive effect of quercetin on doxorubicin-induced nephrotoxic rat model by [99mTc]Tc-DMSA renal cortical scintigraphy and biochemical methods

The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible preventive role of quercetin on doxorubicin (DOX) induced kidney toxicity using Tc-99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid ([99mTc]Tc-DMSA) renal cortical scintigraphy and biochemical approaches. 28 Male Wistar rats were separated into four groups. First group was intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected saline and regarded as the control group; second one was received 18 mg/kg/i.p doxorubicin for three days at a 24 h interval; the third and last group received 10 mg/kg and  100 mg/kg quercetin for 21 days and for the last 3 days doxorubicin and quercetin were administrated together at the same time. On the 22 th day of the experiment, [99mTc]Tc-DMSA renal cortikal scintigraphy and biochemical parameters were measured.DOX administration significantly increased blood urea nitrogen (845%) and creatinine (702%) levels in serum; nitric oxide (158%), plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (233%) and interleukin-6 (191%) levels in kidney tissue, and also reduced [99mTc]Tc-DMSA uptake by 29% in the kidneys as well. Pre-treatment with quercetin mitigated such alterations in all mentioned parameters. All data indicate that oxidative stress and inflammatory processes are involved in DOX-induced nephrotoxicity, which might be decreased by quercetin.In addition, [99mTc]Tc-DMSA scintigraphic may be a good method for demonstrating doxorobucin-induced renal injury.