Effect of selenium and nano-selenium on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in albino rats

Cisplatin is commonly used as a chemotherapeutic agent useful in the treatment of several forms of cancer, but its use is limited due to the undesirable side effects of nephrotoxicity. Most of the previous researches found a positive effect of using selenium as an antioxidant on the toxicity of cisplatin during short term administrations although the recommended dose regimen of cisplatin in chemotherapy is multiple successive administration every three or four weeks depending on the type of the tumor. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of long term usage of selenium or nano-selenium on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in albino rats. forty rats were divided into equal four groups, 1st group as a control injected with normal saline, 2nd group injected with cisplatin 6 mg/kg every 21 days for 70 days (experimental period), 3rd group injected with cisplatin 6 mg/kg plus intramuscular injection 0.1 mg/kg selenium in the form of sodium selenite every 3 days during the experimental period, the 4th group injected with cisplatin 6 mg/kg plus intramuscular injection 0.1 mg/kg nano-selenium every 3 days during the experimental period. The results indicated that selenium or nano-selenium exerted an antioxidant effect through increasing the level of antioxidant enzymes in both serum and kidney tissue, while, it shows a negative effect on kidney function through increasing serum urea and creatinine concentrations and causing abnormal morphology of kidney tissue for rats treated with cisplatin during experimental period.