Effect of vitamin C supplementation against cisplatin-induced toxicity andoxidative DNA damage in rats

Antitumor agents are used as a common therapy against some kinds of cancer. However, as with many agents that have mammalian cell toxicity as a target , physiological adverse effects can occur such as nephrotoxicity and genoto xicity that can be induced in non-tumor cells by generating activated oxyge n species, which attack the DNA frequently resulting in oxidative DNA damag e. To diminish the undesirable side-effects of therapy and to reduce the le vels of oxidative DNA damage, it is recommended for patients to ingest food supplements and vitamins combinations containing substantial amounts of an tioxidants. In the present study, we investigated the effects of cisplatin and vitamin C on the renal toxicity and on the oxidative DNA damage. Rats w ere cotreated with the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin (5 mg kg(-1) body w eight) and dietary doses of vitamin C (50 and 100 mg kg(-1) body weight). R esults demonstrated that depending on the treatment protocol, we observed a lterations in parameters such as body weight, urinary volume and urinary cr eatinine, indicating some kidney toxicity. We also observed changes in the urinary levels of 8-OHdG, suggesting possible oxidative DNA damage. (C) 200 1 Academic Press.