Nephrotoxicity is a common adverse effect of many chemotherapeutic agents characterized by altered intraglomerular hemodynamics, tubular cell toxicity, inflammation, and thrombotic microangiopathy. Chemotherapy-induced tubular toxicity might be due to decreasing of mitochondrial function, interfering with tubular transport, increasing oxidative stress, and formation of free radicals. Cisplatin is an anticancer agent used largely in treatment of solid tumors. The mainstay dose-limiting toxicity

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... f cisplatin is nephrotoxicity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of Ziziphus jujube (ZE), a species of Ziziphus (L) in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae, on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Twenty Sprague-Dawely rats were divided into four groups and received different drug combinations orally. Group I was regarded as control group and received normal saline. Group II received cisplatin at 5mg/kg, group III received ZE at 500mg/kg, and group IV received both cisplatin and ZE. All animals were decapitated 6 days after cisplatin administration. Results revealed that cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity as indicated by a significant increase in plasma creatinine and lipid peroxidation. This increase was significantly inhibited in animals pretreated with ZE. Histopathological observations were in correlation with the biochemical parameters in that ZE minimized cisplatin-induced renal tubular damage. Accordingly, ZE provides protection against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in terms of oxidative stress.