Protective effects of N-benzoyl amino acids on cisplatin nephrotoxicity in rats.

The protective effects of N-benzoyl amino acids (NAAs) and piperacillin (PIP), anionic transport inhibitors, against the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin were examined in rats. Male Wistar rats were injected i.p. with 6 mg/kg of cisplatin combined with i.p. NAAs or PIP. Rats were sacrificed on day 5 after cisplatin injection to weigh the kidney and liver, and to determine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (serum Cr) levels. Treatments with NAAs were an effective means of protection against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The combination of cisplatin with NAAs containing a short and straight chain significantly suppressed (p < 0.05) the changes in body, kidney and liver weights, BUN and serum Cr. Further, betamipron (BP) at a 2000 mg/kg dose showed no apparent effect on the body, kidney and liver weights, BUN and serum Cr levels in rats. The combination of cisplatin with PIP caused a loss in body weight. The protective effects of PIP against cisplatin toxicity are inferior to those of BP when compared at 250 mg/kg doses.