Background: Iron plays a role in free radical-mediated tissue injury, including cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. However, the source of iron (catalyzing free radical reactions) is not known. We examined the role of cytochrome P-450 as a source of catalytic iron in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity both in vivo and in vitro.
Methods: Cisplatin-induced acute renal failure was produced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin (10 mg/kg body wt). Piperonyl butoxide, a cytochrome P-450 inhibitor, was administered intraperitoneally (400 mg/kg body wt twice at 48-hr intervals) prior to cisplatin injection. The effects of cisplatin in the absence or presence of piperonyl butoxide on the belomycin-detectable iron, cytochrome P-450 content in the kidney, and renal functional and histological changes were evaluated. In an in vitro study, the effect of cytochrome P-450 inhibitors, cimetidine or piperonyl butoxide, on cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and catalytic iron release from LLC-PK1 cells was examined.
Results: In cisplatin-treated rats, there was a marked decrease in the cytochrome P-450 content specifically in the kidney, accompanied by increased bleomycin-detectable iron content in the kidney. Piperonyl butoxide prevented cisplatin-induced loss of cytochrome P-450 as well as the increase of bleomycin-detectable iron in the kidney, along with both functional and histological protection. Both cimetidine and piperonyl butoxide prevented cisplatin-induced increase in bleomycin-detectable iron and cytotoxicity in LLC-PK1 cells. Treatment of cimetidine did not affect cellular uptake of cisplatin.
Conclusion: Cytochrome P-450, a group of heme proteins, may serve as a significant source of catalytic iron in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.