Haematological and Biochemical Changes in Sorafenib-Induced Renal Toxicity

Sorafenib (SR), a liver cancer drug, is an antineoplastic agent that belongs to the group of drugs known as kinase inhibitors. It functions by preventing the aberrant protein that stimulates cancer cells to proliferate. In this study, we investigated the toxicological implications of SR on the kidneys in male Wistar rats. A total of 10 male rats were assigned equally into two groups. Group 1 served as control (received corn oil) while group 2 received SR (10 mg/kg). The SR was administered orally thrice a week for seven consecutive weeks. The blood and kidneys were processed for hematological, histological, and biochemical analyses. Results showed that the administration of SR decreased the body weight gained by 42% while the organo-somatic weight of the kidney increased by 13%, respectively. Administration of SR caused significant decreases in antioxidant activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase by 34% and 31%, respectively, when compared to controls. On the contrary, levels of lipid peroxidation significantly (P<0.05) increased by 53% while nitric oxide decreased by 54% in SR-administered rats. Furthermore, the levels of electrolyte concentration decreased in SR-administered rats. Precisely, sodium, potassium, and chloride ions decreased by 4%, 73%, and 17% respectively. Also, the white blood count drastically (P<0.05) decreased by 48.3% in SR-administered rats. Histology of kidney tissues revealed normal kidney cells and interstitial spaces with no inflammatory cells in both control and SR groups. In conclusion, the administration of Sorafenib induced oxidative stress with a concomitant decrease in the activities of first-line antioxidant enzymes.