title: Does silybin protect against toxicity induced by polymyxin E in rat kidney?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although once a common antibiotic, polymyxin E fell out of favor after reports of its nephrotoxicity. However, recent concerns with gram-negative bacteria, which are resistant to multiple antibiotics, have resulted in increased interest in polymyxin E. Silybin is a known antihepatotoxic drug and may have potential for protecting the kidney from polymyxin E. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate whether silybin affected the damages produced by polymyxin E on the rat kidney.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of rats with 10 rats per group were included in the study: control (no treatment, group I), vehicle (control vehicle treatment, group II), polymyxin E treatment (group III), and polymyxin E and silybin treatment (group IV). Groups II-IV received intravenous treatment twice a day for 7 days. All rats were euthanized after 7 days. Histological, ultrastructural, and morphometric analyses were performed on the rats' kidney tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of tissues from group III showed differences from groups I and II, such as glomerular and tubular affection and changes in morphometric measures. Results for group IV were more similar to those of groups I and II than those of group III.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested that administering silybin with polymyxin E alleviated polymyxin E-induced nephrotoxicity in the rat kidney. Future biochemical studies should investigate whether silybin could ameliorate the nephrotoxicity caused by polymyxin E in rats and whether concomitant administration of silybin could be an effective clinical pharmacological strategy to protect against polymyxin E-induced insult in human kidneys.
authors: Department of Anatomy, A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, Missouri.|Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Cairo University, Manial, Cairo, Egypt.|Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine ("Cal Med"), California University of Science and Medicine, Colton, California.
authors: Sherif M Sabry
authors: SMS
authors: Hassan
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Cairo University, Manial, Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Magdy F
authors: MF
authors: Youakim
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Cairo University, Manial, Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Ayman Abou Elenein
authors: AAE
authors: Rizk
authors: A.T. Still Research Institute, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, Missouri.
authors: Charity
authors: C
authors: Thomann
authors: Department of Biochemistry, A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, Missouri.
authors: Zulfiqar
authors: Z
authors: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003091:Colistin / Q000633:toxicity*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077385:Silybin; D012838:Silymarin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D020011:Protective Agents; D012838:Silymarin; D000077385:Silybin; D003091:Colistin
keywords: adverse effects; colisin; nephrotoxicity; renal; silymarin