Reno-protective impact of diosmin and perindopril in amikacin-induced nephrotoxicity rat model: modulation of SIRT1/p53/C-FOS, NF-κB-p65, and keap-1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways

Amikacin (AMC), an aminoglycoside antibiotic known for its rapid and potent bactericidal activity, is also associated with nephrotoxicity. Diosmin and perindopril have been reported to improve renal function and hold promise as therapeutic agents for preventing drug-induced nephrotoxicity. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Diosmin and perindopril, either alone or in combination, against renal damage induced by AMC toxicity and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The researchers evaluated the impact of Diosmin (50 mg/kg, orally) and perindopril (2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) on AMC-induced kidney injury (1.2 g/kg, intraperitoneally) in rats. Invasive blood pressure, serum kidney function and toxicity parameters, oxidative stress biomarkers, and inflammatory cytokine levels in serum and renal tissue were assessed. Histopathological changes in the kidney were examined using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, electron microscopy, and immunohistochemical analysis. The molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of the combination pretreatment on kidney injury were investigated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting techniques. The findings demonstrated that the combination therapy improved kidney function by attenuating pathological changes observed in H&E staining including tubular necrosis and glomerular damage, in addition to reducing levels of kidney function including serum levels of creatinine compared to the AMC group, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) uric acid, and albumin. Mean arterial blood pressure, and toxicity markers including Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1), Cystatin-c were also decreased in samples of combination group compared to AMC group. Furthermore, the protective combination therapy downregulated NF-κB-p65, P53, Keap-1, and C-FOS, while upregulating Mammalian sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (Iκβ), nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2), and Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels. The findings reveal the potential clinical application of combining Diosmin and perindopril to reduce AMC-induced nephrotoxicity, which requires further research in clinical settings.