Carotenoid lutein protects the kidney against cisplatin-induced acute renal failure

Cisplatin is one of the most potent anticancer drugs available for the treatment of a variety of tumors. One of the side effects of this drug is nephrotoxicity. Current research evidence indicates that the renal toxicity is mainly due to the reactive oxygen molecules generated by cisplatin. In the present study, we evaluated the nephroprotective activity of lutein, a non-toxic carotenoid with strong antioxidant activity, to reduce cisplatin-induced renal damage in mice. Serum urea and creatinine levels in the cisplatin-induced mice were significantly elevated compared to those of the control group, and nephrotoxicity was reduced by the lutein treatments (P<0.01). In the cisplatin-treated control group as well as in the vehicle control group, antioxidant enzymes in the kidney, such as superoxide dismutase, as well as catalase activity and level of reduced glutathione were reduced, and the level of malondialdehyde was elevated. Antioxidant enzymes were significantly increased by lutein treatment, and the level of malondialdehyde declined significantly in lutien-treated mice. White blood cell count and bone marrow cellularity, which were significantly reduced in the cisplatin-treated group, were also significantly elevated in all lutein-treated groups (P<0.001). The results of the study show that lutein effectively protected the kidneys of mice treated with cisplatin; these results are also supported by the histopathologies of the kidney tissues of treated mice.