Histopathologic and biochemical study of the effect of saffron extract on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Aminoglycoside antibiotic, gentamicin, is widely used against gram-negative bacteria; however, its clinical use is limited due to its nephrotoxicity. Saffron extract has been previously used to decrease oxidative stress induced by ischemia-reperfusion. Here, we studied the effect of aqueous saffron extract on gentamicin toxicity. Twenty-eight male Wister rats were divided randomly into 4 equal groups and were injected with gentamicin (100 mg/kg I.M.), aqueous saffron extract (5 mg/kg I.P.), combination of thereof, and saline (1 ml I.M.). All treatments were done for ten consecutive days. Gentamicin-administered rats showed increase in serum urea and creatinine and urinary Gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) together with acute tubular necrosis while saffron co-administered rats revealed lower concentration of urinary GGT and serum urea and creatinine and lower degree of necrosis. Rats treated with saffron did not show any change in biochemical indices compared to control rats but they showed severe congestion in their kidney cortex. Our study has shown the protective effect of saffron on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.