The Role of Magnesium Supplementation in Cisplatin-induced Nephrotoxicity in a Rat Model: No Nephroprotectant Effect

Objectives: cisplatin (cp) is used as the commonest drug to treatsolid tumors. it is accompanied by a nephrotoxicity side effect. themain objective of this study is to investigate the protective role ofmagnesium (mg) supplementation in cp-induced nephrotoxicityin a rat model.methods: twenty-nine wistar rats were randomly assigned tofour groups (1–4). groups 1–3 received 20, 80, and 200 mg/kgmagnesium sulfate respectively, for 10 days, but on day 3, a singledose of cp (7 mg/kg, i.p.) was also injected. group 4 (positivecontrol group) received the same regimen of groups 1–3 exceptsaline instead magnesium sulfate. one week after cp administration,blood samples were obtained and all animals were killed for kidneyhistopathological investigations.results: all cp-treated animals lost weight, and the percentageof weight loss in group 1 (low dose mg sulfate treated) wassignificantly higher compared with the positive control group(group 4, p < 0.05). the increase in blood urea nitrogen (bun)and creatinine (cr) levels in serum in group 1 were more thanthose in other groups (p < 0.05). no statistical differences wereobserved in serum magnesium, nitrite, and total protein levelsamong the groups. the kidney tissue damage in groups 1–3 wasnot significantly different when compared with group 4. moreover,the kidney and testis weights in group 1 were significantly greaterthan those in the positive control group (p < 0.05).conclusion: regarding the bun and cr levels in the serum,kidneys weight, and the histopathological study, the low dose of mgsupplementation intensifies kidney toxicity and renal dysfunctionin cp-induced nephrotoxicity in the rat model. however, theprotective role of mg with moderate and high doses is not certain.