Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the renal protective effect of melatonin and vitamin D treatments in adriamycin-induced nephrotoxic rats using both 99mTc-DMSA renal scintigraphic imaging and biochemical methods. Forty-nine male rats were randomly separated into seven groups: control(CON), adriamycin-induced nephrotoxicity (ADR, 18 mg/kg), substance control of melatonin (40 mg/kg) and vitamin D (60.000 IU/kg), ADR+MEL, ADR+Vit D, ADR+MEL+Vit D. Nephrotoxicity was induced by intraperitoneal administration of adriamycin (ADR) at a cumulative dose of 18 mg/kg, administered over three consecutive days (days 15–17). Vitamin D pretreatments were applied as single dose injections of 60,000 IU/kg/i.p, on the first day of experiment, melatonin (40 mg/kg/i.p/day) were administered for 17 days. The renal functions were examined on 18th days of experiment. Adriamycin significantly reduced 99mTc-DMSA uptake levels in the kidney area (43%, p < 0.001) but increased blood urea nitrogen (951%, p < 0.001) and creatinine levels (806%, p < 0.001) compared to control group. Pretreatment with melatonin, vitamin D, and their combination significantly improved 99mTc-DMSA uptake and reduced BUN and creatinine levels compared with the ADR group (p < 0.001). The results demonstrated a strong correlation between scintigraphic findings and biochemical parameters. In addition, it was concluded that 99mTc DMSA could be used as a non-invasive technique to determine kidney damage induced by adriamycin.

Key words: Adriamycin; melatonin; nephrotoxicity; 99mTc DMSA; vitamin D