Simvastatin ameliorates gentamicin-induced renal injury in rats

Gentamicin nephrotoxicity is one of the most common causes of acute renal failure. Simvastatin is one of the antioxidative drugs, which has anti-inflammatory and anabolic effects and modulates the immune system. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of simvastatin on ameliorating the gentamicin-induced renal injury in 87 Sprague-Dawley rats, which were allocated randomly to 11 study groups: (A) and (B) groups with only gentamicin in 2 dosages; (C), (D), and (E) gentamicin 50 mg/kg/day and simvastatin with different dosage; (F), (G), and (H) gentamicin 80 mg/kg/day and simvastatin with different dosage; (I) only simvastatin; (J) Injected normal saline; (K) control (no gentamicin and no simvastatin) group. Our study intervention period for injection of drugs was 12 days. Serum creatinine level and clearance were measured in all groups. At the end of the study, the rats were killed and both kidneys were removed and processed for histopathologic examination using the standard methods. The 50 mg/kg/day dose was utilized because it induces a mild form of renal toxicity, whereas the 80 mg/kg/day dose cause a more severe degree of renal injury. Morphologic examination of specimens from all rats was qualitatively assessed with blindness to treatment groups and proximal tubular profiles that were presented in each file were counted. The results demonstrated amelioration of gentamicin-induced renal toxicity in rats by simvastatin due to its antioxidant drug dose-related effect.