Effect of Intravenous Glutamine on Caspase-12 Expression in the Apoptosis of the Glomerular Epithelial Cells of Male Rats Exposed to Cisplatin

OBJECTIVE: Cisplatin is potent chemotherapy for broad-spectrum malignancies treatment, but its use is limited by organ toxicity effects, including nephrotoxicity. Glutamine prevents cisplatin nephrotoxicity by inhibiting the oxidative stress in kidney cell apoptosis. METHODS: This research examined the nephroprotective effects of intravenous glutamine on the glomerular epithelium of male rats (Rattus norvegicus). 30 male rats were randomly divided into (1) P0 as the control group; (2) P1 that was administered with single dose cisplatin (20 mg/kg BW) intraperitoneal injection; and (3) P2 that was administered with intravenous injection of glutamine (100 mg/kg BW) and single-dose cisplatin (20 mg/kg BW) intraperitoneal injection. The measurement of caspase-12 expression and apoptotic cells was performed using immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: The caspase-12 expression are as follows: P0 = 0.5 ± 0.15; P1 = 4.1 ± 0.86; P2 = 2.54 ± 0.72. The apoptotic cells are as follows: P0 = 14.5 ± 5.23 cells/field of view; P1 = 52.7 ± 17.06 cells/field of view; P2 = 31.5 ± 6.73 cells/field of view. There is a decrease in the caspase-12 expression and apoptotic cells after intravenous glutamine administration in male white rats’ glomerular epithelial cells exposed to cisplatin. The decrease of caspase-12 expression is followed by a decrease in glomerular epithelium apoptosis after intravenous glutamine administration. CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical examination can be used as a marker of the nephrotoxic effect of cisplatin on the renal glomerular epithelium. Glutamine has been observed to give nephroprotective effect to cisplatin nephrotoxic effects.