Taurine Administration Mitigates Cisplatin Induced Acute Nephrotoxicity by Decreasing DNA Damage and Inflammation: An Immunocytochemical Study

Cisplatin (CDDP) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of many kind of solid tumors. Its primary side effect is nephrotoxicity. The aim of this study to investigate the effects of taurine on cisplatin-induced acute nephrotoxicity. A single intraperitoneal injection of CDDP (15 mg/kg, or 25 mg/kg) deteriorated the kidney functions as reflected by histopathological changes. Histopathological changes were observed in all cisplatin groups. In the cisplatin group, oxidative stress was evident in the cisplatin group by observing an increase in 8-OHdG expression, an indicator of oxidative DNA damage. CDDP also resulted to an increase in CD68 expression in the renal tissues of CDDP groups. Taurine transporter (TauT) was down-regulated, and p53 was up-regulated in renal tissues as indicated by immunohistochemical analysis. Administration with taurine prior to a cisplatin injection was able to protect against deterioration of kidney function, to abrogate the decline in anti-oxidants and to suppress the increase in DNA damage. Moreover, taurine inhibited p53 activation and improved the pathological changes induced by cisplatin. This study demonstrates the protective effects of taurine in attenuating the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and in improving antioxidant capacity in the kidney of cisplatin-injected rats. Thus, taurine could be a beneficial dietary supplement to attenuate cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity.