Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of chronic cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment and acute renal ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) on the kidney and liver in thymoquinone (TQ)-treated rats.
Methods: In the CsA study, adult male rats were divided into control, CsA (25 mg/kg per day), TQ (10 mg/kg per day) and CsA + TQ groups, and rat treatment was for 28 days. In the I/R study, adult male rats were divided into sham-operated, I/R (renal ischaemia for 60 min followed by 60 min reperfusion) and TQ + I/R (TQ 10 mg/kg, 24 h and 1 h before ischaemia) groups.
Key findings: CsA treatment and renal I/R caused kidney and liver dysfunction as evaluated by histopathological changes and biochemical parameters. TQ treatment reduced elevated serum indices back to control levels and ameliorated CsA-induced kidney and liver histopathological changes. In renal and hepatic tissues, CsA and renal I/R induced significant increases in malondialdehyde levels with significant decreases in reduced glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase activities. Such changes in oxidative stress markers were counteracted by TQ treatment.
Conclusions: Kidney and liver injury due to CsA or renal I/R can be significantly reduced by TQ, which resets the oxidant/antioxidant balance of the affected organs through scavenging free radicals and antilipoperoxidative effects.
Keywords: cyclosporine A; hepatotoxicity; nephrotoxicity; renal ischaemia/reperfusion; thymoquinone.
© 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.