Ameliorative Effects of Alpha-tocopherol in Carboplatin Induced Toxicity on Histomorphology of Renal Cortex in Rats

To evaluate the histomorphological response of alpha-tocopherol co-administration with carboplatin chemotherapy.

A laboratory-based experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Anatomy Department, Army Medical College / National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January to December 2021.

Thirty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups of ten rats each. Control group A received normal diet and water, experimental group B was administered single injection of carboplatin 2.5 mg/Kg intraperitoneally; and experimental group C along with carboplatin injection also received alpha-tocopherol 62.7 mg/Kg daily. At the end of 12 weeks, the euthanasia of animals was done and kidneys were dissected out. Right-sided kidneys were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin. Micrometry was done to measure the diameters of renal cortical tubules and renal corpuscles.

The proximal and distal tubular and luminal diameter and transvertical diameter of renal corpuscle were increased in group B as compared to control group A. In group C, the proximal and distal tubular diameters were 5.175 ± 0.39 µm and 3.88 ± 0.364 µm, respectively; proximal and distal luminal diameters were 2.67 ± 0.35 µm and 1.64 ± 0.24 µm, respectively and transvertical diameter of renal corpuscle was 12.16 ± 0.870 µm. These values were less than experimental group B and closer to that of control group A.

Renal microscopic parameters showed improvement in the group administered with alpha-tocopherol. Therefore, alpha-tocopherol has ameliorative effects on carboplatin-induced renal damage.

Alpha-tocopherol, Carboplatin, Renal corpuscle, Tubules.