title: In vivo nephroprotective efficacy of propolis against contrast-induced nephropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Contrast agents administered in diagnostic imaging or interventional procedures of clinical radiology may cause contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Preventive measures against CIN involve pharmaceutical pretreatments, such as N-acetylcystein (NAC) or calpain, but alternative medicines can also be helpful. This study aims to assess the prospects of a natural compound, propolis, as a potential nephroprotector against a specific contrast agent, diatrizoate.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vivo experiments were performed on 35 male rats in five groups: control, diatrizoate alone, and pretreatments with propolis, NAC, or calpain one hour before diatrizoate administration. Three days later, blood and renal tissue samples were collected and quantitatively processed for determining induced changes in critical biomarkers malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), as well as serum creatinine and plasma urea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diatrizoate increased creatinine (113%), urea (400%), and MDA (162%) levels and decreased GSH (-71%), SOD (-69%), GSH-Px (-77%), and CAT (-73%) levels. Evaluating the response of each pretreatment provided sufficient evidence that propolis was as effective as either NAC or calpain, but consistently more prominent in restoring the MDA, GSH, SOD, and GSH-Px levels close to their normal range. This outcome demonstrated the nephroprotective effect of propolis against CIN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Propolis protects renal tissue against toxicity, free radicals, and other adverse effects induced by diatrizoate. This function is most likely exerted through the antioxidant and antitoxic activities of propolis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Sütçü İmam University School of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. silicis@erciyes.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baykara
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silici
authors.forename: Mehtap
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özçelik
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Güler
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erdoğan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilgen
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002154:Calpain / Q000494:pharmacology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003973:Diatrizoate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011429:Propolis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003287:Contrast Media; D003973:Diatrizoate; D011429:Propolis; D002154:Calpain; D000111:Acetylcysteine