title: The effect of melatonin against FK506-induced renal oxidative stress in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nephrotoxicity is an important side effect of FK506 and oxidative stress has been considered as one of the possible mechanisms. The present investigation examines the ability of melatonin to protect against FK506-induced renal oxidative stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty rats were divided into 3 groups (n = 10 each group). Group A was the sham group. Group B received 14 days FK506 (5 mg/kg/d, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) and group C received FK506 (5 mg/kg/d, i.p.) together with melatonin (4 mg/kg, i.p.) for 14 days. Kidney tissues were harvested to determine the tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total nitrite and nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group C, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and NO were lower than in the group B (P < .01, P < .03, and P < .04, respectively) and although MDA levels were lower than in group B, the differences were not statistically significant (P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that melatonin has protective effect against FK506-induced renal oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Inonu University School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ara
authors.forename: Abuzer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dirican
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bay Karabulut
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Piskin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D008550:Melatonin; D016559:Tacrolimus