The protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester in the nephrotoxicity induced by α-cypermethrin

Alpha cypermethrin (α-CYP) is an insecticide, a member of the group of synthetic pyrethroid pesticides. This study aims to assess the histopathological and biochemical subacute effects of α-CYP on the renal tissues of 48 male Spraque–Dawley adult rats. In this study, the rats were divided into six groups: control, α-CYP (10 mg kg(−1)), α-CYP (20 mg kg(−1)), caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) (10 µmol kg(−1)), α-CYP + CAPE (10 mg kg(−1)), and α-CYP + CAPE (20 mg kg(−1)) groups. The percentage of weight gain was found to be dose-dependent on α-CYP in all groups. As a result of exposure, the normal histological structure of renal tissue was also observed in the control and CAPE groups, while glomerular atrophy and haemorrhage, enlargement of Bowman capsule, glomerular lobulation, and degeneration in distal and proximal tubules were noted in the α-CYP-treated groups with an increased frequency and severity in parallel with the dose increase. Although the severity and intensity of lesions decreased in the α-CYP + CAPE groups, they were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). A decrease in the antioxidant parameter levels and an increase in oxidant parameters were observed in parallel with the negative effects of the antioxidant system in the α-CYP-treated groups. The groups exposed to CAPE in combination with α-CYP exhibited a therapeutic trend towards normalization in biochemical parameters due to the antioxidant character of CAPE. However, considering the statistical difference between the groups treated with α-CYP alone and CAPE alone, it was observed that the therapeutic features of those chemicals were not robust.