Background: Cisplatin (CP) is a chemotherapy drug and nephrotoxicity is considered as its major side effect. Aerobic exercise is well known as an approach to reduce the side effects of many drugs.
Objectives: This study was designed to determine the protective role of aerobic exercise against CP-induced nephrotoxicity.
Materials and methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group I had aerobic exercise on a treadmill one hour per day and five days per week for eight weeks. Then, the exercise protocol was continued for another week, but during this week, the animals also received CP (2.5 mg/kg/day; ip). Group II underwent the same protocol as group I without exercise in the last week during the CP therapy. Groups III and IV were assigned as positive and negative control groups, and were treated with CP and saline without exercise, respectively. Finally, the animals were sacrificed for the biochemical measurement and tissue histopathology investigation.
Results: CP alone without exercise increased serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), and malondialdehyde (MDA); and kidney nitrite level, while treadmill exercise in group I significantly ameliorated these parameters (P < 0.05). Kidney and serum levels of MDA and nitrite did not alter significantly. Also, the severity of kidney tissue damage decreased significantly in groups I and II (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Aerobic exercise may reduce CP-induced nephrotoxicity with a favorable effect on renal function by increasing activation of antioxidant system.
Keywords: Cisplatin; Exercise; Nephrotoxicity; Rats.