Trichosanthes kirilowii ameliorates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in both in vitro and in vivo.

The aim of this study was to explore the protective effects of Trichosanthes kirilowii ethanol extract (TKE) against cisplatin-induced acute renal failure (ARF). In the in vitro study, TKE-pretreated porcine kidney cells (PK15) exhibited enhanced cell viability after cisplatin (15 μg mL(- 1)) treatment in both MTT and crystal violet assays. PK15 cells pretreated with TKE (50 μg mL(- 1)) exhibited increased glutathione content, decreased reactive oxygen species production and ameliorated p53 expression. In vivo study, rats were administered with TKE for 4 weeks before cisplatin (5 mg kg(- 1)) injection. TKE (100 mg kg(- 1)) decreased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels by 24% and 47%, respectively, in comparison with cisplatin-alone group. In addition, TKE pretreatment ameliorated cisplatin-induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased antioxidative enzyme levels and decreased lipid peroxidation levels. Moreover, TKE pretreatment reduced histopathological alterations in the kidney with decreased apoptotic cells. Taken together, TKE might be beneficial in treating cisplatin-induced ARF.