Carbon tetrachloride-induced nephrotoxicity and DNA damage in rats: protective role of vanillin

In this study, the protective effects of vanillin were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced kidney damages in Wistar albino rats. CCl(4) (1 ml/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) caused a significant induction of renal disorder, oxidative damage and DNA fragmentation as evidenced by increased plasma creatinine, urea and uric acid levels, increased lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]) and protein carbonyl. Furthermore, glutathione levels, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly decreased. A smear without ladder formation on agarose gel was also shown, indicating random DNA degradation. Pretreatment of rats with vanillin (150 mg/kg/day, i.p.), for 3 consecutive days before CCl(4) injection, protected kidney against the increase of MDA and degradation of membrane proteins compared to CCl(4)-treated rats and exhibited marked prevention against CCl(4)-induced nephropathology, oxidative stress and DNA damage. Kidney histological sections showed glomerular hypertrophy and tubular dilatation in CCl(4)-treated rats, however, in vanillin pretreated rats, these histopathological changes were less important and present a similar structure to that of control rats. These data indicated the protective role of vanillin against CCl(4)-induced nephrotoxicity and suggested its significant contribution of these beneficial effects.