Protective effects of natural products against drug-induced nephrotoxicity: A review in recent years

Abstract

Drug-induced nephrotoxicity (DIN) is a major cause of kidney damage and is associated with high mortality and morbidity, which limits the clinical use of certain therapeutic or diagnostic agents, such as antineoplastic drugs, antibiotics, immunosuppressive agents, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and contrast agents. However, in recent years, a number of studies have shown that many natural products (NPs), including phytochemicals, various plants extracts, herbal formulas, and NPs derived from animals, confer protective effects against DIN through multi-targeting therapeutic mechanisms, such as inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, fibrosis, and necroptosis, regulation of autophagy, maintenance of cell polarity, etc., by regulating multiple signaling pathways and novel molecular targets. In this review, we summarize and discuss the protective effects and mechanisms underlying the action of NPs against DIN found in recent years, which will contribute to the development of promising renal protective agents.

Keywords: Drugs; Natural products; Nephrotoxicity.