title: Glycyrrhizic acid: a phytochemical with a protective role against cisplatin-induced genotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is a main sweetening component of licorice roots and has been found to be associated with multiple therapeutic properties. In this study, we used GA as a protective agent against the clastogenic and nephrotoxic effects of cisplatin (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were given a prophylactic treatment of GA orally at doses of 75 and 150mg/kg body weight for seven consecutive days before the administration of a single intraperitoneal dose of CP at 7mg/kg body weight. The modulatory effects of GA on CP-induced nephrotoxicity and genotoxicity were investigated by assaying oxidative stress biomarkers, lipid peroxidation, serum kidney toxicity markers, DNA fragmentation, alkaline unwinding, and micronuclei and by histopathological examination of the kidneys.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A single intraperitoneal dose of cisplatin in mice enhanced renal lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase, and H(2)O(2) generation; depleted glutathione content, activities of the anti-oxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and quinone reductase; induced DNA strand breaks and micronucleus formation (p<0.001); and majorly disrupted normal kidney architecture. Pretreatment with GA prevented oxidative stress by restoring the levels of antioxidant enzymes at both doses. A significant dose-dependent decrease in DNA fragmentation, micronucleus formation (p<0.05), and the kidney toxicity markers BUN (p<0.001), creatinine (p<0.01), and LDH (p<0.001) and restoration of normal kidney histology was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study supports the claim that the phytochemical GA has the potential to attenuate the side effects of anticancer drug overdose.
authors.affiliation: Section of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Department of Medical Elementology and Toxicology, Faculty of Science, Jamia Hamdard, (Hamdard University), Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 110062, India.
authors.forename: Wani
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arjumand
authors.forename: Sarwat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sultana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020011:Protective Agents; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D004247:DNA; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005978:Glutathione; D002945:Cisplatin