PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF N-BENZOYL-BETA-ALANINE AGAINST CISPLATIN NEPHROTOXICITY IN RATS

Prophylactic effects of N-benzoyl-beta-alanine (betamipron, BP), one o f a series of N-acyl amino acids, were examined against cisplatin-indu ced nephrotoxicity. Male Wistar rats were injected i.p. with 6 mg/kg o f cisplatin combined with an i.p. BP dose given at various times and v arious doses. Rats were sacrificed 5 days after cisplatin injection to weigh the kidney and liver and to determine blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (serum Cr) levels. Preliminary results suggest t hat treatment with BP is an effective means of protection against cisp latin-induced nephrotoxicity. Combination with BP reduced the weight l oss following treatment with cisplatin. The ratios of the kidney and l iver weights to the body weight in the animals treated with cisplatin followed later with BP are significantly different (p < 0.05) from tho se in the animals that received only cisplatin. The BUN and serum Cr l evels in the animals treated with cisplatin followed from -1 to 4 hr; and from -4 to 4 hr later with 250 mg/kg BP dose and followed 1 hr lat er with from 250 to 1000 mg/kg, and from 250 to 2000 mg/kg BP doses di ffered significantly (p < 0.05) from those in the animals that receive d only cisplatin. Histological analysis of the kidneys confirmed the p rotective effect of BP.