title: Dietary protein level alters gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.
abstract: Aminoglycosides (AG) such as gentamicin are antimicrobial drugs widely used in the hospital setting due to their efficacy in the treatment of severe gram-negative bacterial infections. However, all AG have the potential to cause nephrotoxicity. Two studies have been conducted (1) to assess the protein level of a diet that would give the best renal outcome with gentamicin administration, and (2) to get a better idea about the rhythms of food ingestion associated with the different protein levels. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats fully adapted to a standard chow diet, the standard chow with 20% or 55% added casein were chronically treated for 10 days with a nephrotoxic dose of gentamicin sulfate (40 mg/kg/day, i.p.) or a saline solution. Food ingestion patterns of rats were recorded every hour using a Diet Scan system and gentamicin nephrotoxicity indices were measured. The second study used rats that were fed the same diets and given a sham injection. Corticosterone was assayed to quantify the stress of the animals. Results showed that chronic gentamicin treatment leads to a decrease in food intake and flattening of the rhythms of food ingestion. Also, chow feeding and the 20% casein diet were found to be more protective against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity than the 55% casein diet. Therefore, while a protein-rich diet can be protective against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity, the present study demonstrates that a diet too high in protein might rather be harmful to the kidneys.
authors.affiliation: School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada H9X 3V9.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zeeni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Selmaoui
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beauchamp
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Labrecque
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thibault
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000633:toxicity*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002364:Caseins; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005839:Gentamicins; D003345:Corticosterone