Investigation of the effects of apilarnil and imatinib use on liver and kidney tissues in rats via PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK2/STAT3 pathways

Imatinib, used in the field of molecular targeted therapy, has been reported to cause serious side effects, including liver and kidney failure. However, the mechanism of imatinib-induced liver and kidney toxicity remains unclear due to limited number of studies in this field. Apilarnil is a natural bee product produced from 3-7 day old drone larvae. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of apilarnil in rats with imatinib-induced liver and kidney toxicity using biochemical parameters. In the experiment, 35 wistar albino rats were divided into five groups (n=7): i) Control, ii) Apilarnil, iii) İmatinib, iv) İmatinib+Apilarnil-200, and v) İmatinib+Apilarnil-400. The rats were treated orally with İmatinib (100 mg/kg) alone or with apilarnil (200 and 400 mg/kg) for 14 consecutive days. Imatinib reduced PI3K, AKT and mTOR levels, while increasing JAK2 and STAT3 levels in liver and kidney tissues. Apilarnil given for treatment modulated these values and provided partial protection in liver and kidney tissue. In conclusion, it was determined that apilarnil has ameliorative effects against imatinib-induced liver and kidney damage.