the protective effect of dandelion hydroalcoholic extract on vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity

Background: vancomycin is the most commonly used glycopeptide antibiotic against gram-positive bacteria, and 5 - 25% of users experience vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity. dandelion has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. previous studies have indicated the protective effects of dandelion on kidneys in vivo. objectives: in this study, the mechanism of this protective effect was investigated in vitro. methods: after treatment of vero cells with vancomycin and hydroalcoholic extract, cell viability was measured using the mtt technique. untreated cells were considered as controls. then, in three programs of pre-treatment, simultaneous treatment, and post-treatment, the protective effect was measured. finally, the effect of dandelion extract on vancomycin-induced apoptosis was tested by diphenylamine assay and annexin v staining. the expression of apoptotic markers was evaluated by real-time pcr technique. results: the extract reduced the viability of the cells significantly at 100 and 200 µg/ml (p < 0.05) and at lower concentrations was not toxic to cells. vancomycin reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. in combination treatment, the extract protected vero cells against the cytotoxic action of vancomycin. also, apoptosis was significantly induced by vancomycin (p < 0.05), and the extract prevented apoptosis induced by vancomycin. conclusions: dandelion extract ameliorates vancomycin-induced toxicity. therefore, the use of dandelion in combination with vancomycin may be a promising approach to the prevention of nephrotoxicity.