Cisplatin is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents, but nephrotoxicity is its major hazard. This study aimed to evaluate the possible protective effects of mesenchymal stem cell and alfacalcidol in ameliorating cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in albino rats. Five young male albino rats were utilized to obtain BM-MSCs. Forty adult male albino rats were divided into: Group I, n=8: (control), Group II, n=8 (cisplatin): received cisplatin (6.5 mg/kg) IP as a single dose on day 0, Group III, n=24 (treatment): subdivided into: subgroup IIIa (Alfacalcidol): received 50 ng/kg/day alfacalcidol oral daily dose for 5 days, then received cisplatin (as group II), then continued alfacalcidol for another 5 days, Subgroup IIIb (Alfacalcidol) (BM-MSCs): received cisplatin (as group II) on day 0, then received BM-MSCs suspension injected into the tail vein after cisplatin, in a dose of 2 × 106 in 0.5 ml PBS/rat, Subgroup IIIc: (BM-MSCs and alfacalcidol): received 50 ng/kg/day alfacalcidol orally daily dose for 5 days, then cisplatin (as group II) then BM-MSCs suspension injected into the tail vein, in a dose of 2 ×106 in 0.5 ml PBS/rat one day after cisplatin then continued alfacalcidol for another 5 days. Blood urea and serum creatinine were measured, and kidneys were processed for histological, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies.
Combined alfacalcidol-and-BM-MSCs-treated group IIIc exhibited marked improvement in histological structure of the kidney and renal functions. Combined treatment of alfacalcidol with BM-MSCs may represent a suitable modality in alleviating cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury than using each modality alone.
