Background: Cyclophosphamide (CPA) is widely used anticancer drug and is associated with renal toxicity. The
nephroprotective effect of L-carnosine (CAR) and L-carnitine (LC) is evaluated with other drugs induced renal damage.
Objective: To assess the possible protective role of CAR and LC against CPA nephrotoxicity in adult albino rats.
Materials and Methods: Sixty adult male wistar rats were divided into five equal groups.Group I as control, group II that
divided into: Group IIA received CAR 250 mg/kg/day and group IIB received LC 300 mg/kg/day for 5 days, group III
received CPA 150 mg/kg single dose then received physiological saline daily for other 4 days, in the previous groups the
rats were sacrificed on the 6th day. Group IV and group V received CAR 250 mg/kg/day and LC 300 mg/kg/day respectively
for 5 days then received CPA 150 mg /kg single dose on the 6th day and the rats were anesthetized and sacrificed on the 11th
day. All chemicals were given intraperitoneally. Assessment of blood urea and creatinine levels, histological and caspase 3
immunohistochemical studies of the renal cortex were done.
Results: In CPA treated group, significant elevation of blood urea and creatinine levels, marked histological changes in the
renal cortex with marked increase of the caspase 3 immunoreaction of tubular cells were recorded. In the CAR+CPA group, the
previous changes associated with CPA treatment reduced while no protection was recorded in LC+CPA group.
Conclusion: CPA renal toxicity was reduced by pretreatment with CAR while pretreatment with LC did not protect against
CPA renal toxicity.