Protective effects of vitamin C on cisplatin-induced renal damage: a light and electron microscopic study

The present study was performed to investigate whether the chronic administration of antioxidant vitamin C provided morphological protection on cisplatin-induced renal damage. Wistar albino male rats were divided into control and two experiment groups, each consisting of six rats. Cisplatin (5 mg/kg/month) was administered intravenously to the second and third group for three months. After the first application of cisplatin, vitamin C (8 mg/kg/day) to the third group was administered intramuscular for 3 months. At the end of the third month, the kidney specimens of the all groups were obtained. All of these kidney specimens were processed for light and electron microscopical examination. In the second group, most of the renal corpuscle lost their normal appearance and size, especially in the corticomedullary region. The most obvious changes were encountered in the proximal tubules. These changes were tubular dilation, thickening of basement membrane, loss of brush border, vacuolization, and swollenness of mitochondria in the proximal tubule epithelial cells. In addition, infiltration foci were observed mainly in the cortical region. In the third group, which was administered cisplatin plus vitamin C, although the structural damages and morphometric changes were lessened, mononuclear cell infiltration was still observed. This study suggests that the chronic administration of vitamin C may be of therapeutic benefit on cisplatin nephrotoxicity.