Evaluation of The Protective Effect of Nebivolol against Gentamicin- Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of nebivolol, beta-1 blocker, on the nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin in male albino rats. The protective effect of silymarin, as natural antioxidant, and acetylcystein, as nephroprotective agent were compared. The results revealed that three weeks of nebivolol administration prior to gentamicin, protected the rats from the oxidative stress produced by gentamicin. Nebivolol lowered the marked increase in serum levels of creatinin and urea. It also raised the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in kidney homogenate. In addition, pretreatment with nebivolol, silymarin and acetylcystein, each separately, attenuated the elevation in the activities of lysosomal enzymes; acid phosphatase (ACP), NacetylD-glucosaminidase (-NAG) and -galactosidase (-GAL) ; that was induced by gentamicin treatment. Histopathological examination of kidney sections of the different groups was coincident with the obtained biochemical data. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that nebivolol is a potent nephroprotective against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity as compared with the protective effect of silymarin and N-acetylcystein. Therefore, it is worthy to use nebivolol as antihypertensive drug for hypertensive patients with probable nephritis. It has dual action as antihypertensive and nephroprotective and hence, it can be used instead of antioxidants to justify the blind use of antioxidant supplements by hypertensive patients for the protection of their kidneys.