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Iron supplementation increases gentamicin nephrotoxicity in rats
S E Kays1, W A Crowell, M A Johnson
1Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
The Journal of Nutrition
|November 1, 1991
Summary
High dietary iron intake increases the risk of gentamicin (GM) nephrotoxicity. This study found that iron supplementation worsened kidney damage markers in rats exposed to GM, highlighting iron
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Toxicology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Gentamicin (GM), an aminoglycoside antibiotic, is known to cause acute renal failure.
- Lipid peroxidation and nutrient cofactors like iron are implicated in GM-induced kidney damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of supplemental dietary iron on gentamicin nephrotoxicity.
Main Methods:
- Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed control or iron-supplemented diets for 3 weeks.
- Rats received intraperitoneal injections of gentamicin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) or saline for 8 days.
- Kidney damage was assessed by urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) excretion and renal histopathology.
Main Results:
- High dietary iron intake significantly increased sensitivity to gentamicin toxicity.
- Elevated urinary NAG excretion and increased renal tubular mineralization, casts, and megalocytes were observed in iron-supplemented rats treated with GM.
- Renal tubular damage persisted in iron-fed rats even after gentamicin treatment cessation.
Conclusions:
- Supplemental dietary iron exacerbates gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.
- Iron may play a critical role in the mechanisms underlying gentamicin kidney damage.