title: Lack of nephroprotective efficacy of althaea officinalis flower extract against gentamicin renal toxicity in male rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gentamicin (GM) is used as antibiotic for Gram-negative infections, but its administration is limited due to a side-effect of nephrotoxicity. It was attempted to investigate the effect of Althaea officinalis flower extract (AOFE) against nephrotoxicity induced by GM in male rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  30-year-old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Group 1 as a negative control group received AOFE 250 mg/kg/day. Groups 2-5 received saline, AOFE 50 mg/kg/day, AOFE 250 mg/kg/day, and AOFE 500 mg/kg/day for 9 days, respectively, and GM (100 mg/kg/day) was added from the 3(rd) day on. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were obtained, animals were sacrificed, and the kidneys were removed immediately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gentamicin (in group 2) significantly increased serum levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine as well as the pathological damage score (P < 0.05) when compared with group 1. Low dose of AOFE did not decrease the nephrotoxicity induced by GM while the high dose of AOFE aggravated renal toxicity (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although AOFE acts as an antioxidant, at the doses used in the current study did not ameliorate nephrotoxicity induced by GM.
authors.affiliation: Water and Electrolytes Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran ; Department of Clinical Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ardeshir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talebi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Amirhossein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ouguerram
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vahidi-Ataabadi
authors.affiliation: Water and Electrolytes Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eshraghi-Jazi
authors.affiliation: Water and Electrolytes Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mansouri
authors.affiliation: Water and Electrolytes Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran ; Department of Physiology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran ; Isfahan™ Institute of Basic and Applied Sciences Research, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nematbakhsh
keywords: Althaea officinalis; Gentamicin; nephrotoxicity; rat