Evaluating the effect of sulphated polysaccharides on cyclosporine A induced oxidative renal injury

Cyclosporine A (CsA) has been universally used as an immunosuppressant for the management of organ transplantation and various autoimmune diseases. However, nephrotoxicity due to CsA remains to be an important clinical challenge. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to appraise the effect of sulphated polysaccharides on oxidative renal injury caused by CsA. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Two groups received CsA by oral gavage (25 mg/kg body weight) for 21 days to provoke nephrotoxicity, one of which simultaneously received sulphated polysaccharides subcutaneously, (5 mg/kg body weight). A vehicle (olive oil) treated control group and sulphated polysaccharides drug control were also built-in. An increase in lipid peroxidation along with abnormal levels of enzymic (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and non-enzymic antioxidants (glutathione, vitamin C and vitamin E) are the salient features observed in CsA induced nephrotoxicity. CsA induced impairment of renal toxicity was evident from the marked decline in the activities of renal marker enzymes like alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as an apparent increase in the serum urea, uric acid and creatinine; diagnostic of renal damage was normalized by sulphated polysaccharides co-administration. Sulphated polysaccharides treatment showed an effectual role in counteracting the free radical toxicity by bringing about a significant decrease in peroxidative levels and increase in antioxidant status. These observations emphasize the antioxidant property of sulphated polysaccharides and its cytoprotective action against CsA induced nephrotoxicity.