Trilobatin, an Active Dihydrochalcone from Lithocarpus polystachyus, Prevents Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway-Mediated Apoptosis in Mice

[Image: see text] Although naturally occurring flavonoids have shown beneficial effects on the side effects caused by cisplatin, there are few reports on the protective effect of dihydrochalcone on the cisplatin-induced toxicity. Trilobatin (TLB), as the major sweetener and active ingredient in Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd, is a dihydrochalcone-like compound that can be present in concentrations of up to 10% or more in tender leaves. Herein, a cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) model was established to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of TLB against the cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice. The results showed that TLB significantly reversed the inhibition of CRE, BUN, and MDA levels compared with the cisplatin group. Furthermore, TLB treatment (50 and 100 mg/kg) for 10 days significantly alleviated cisplatin-induced renal pathological changes. TUNEL staining showed that TLB administration can effectively improve the occurrence of apoptosis of renal tissue cells caused by cisplatin exposure. Importantly, western blot analysis verified that TLB alleviated cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by regulating the AKT/MAPK signaling pathway and apoptosis. In summary, our findings showed clearly that TLB has a significant preventive effect on cisplatin-induced AKI.