Attenuation of potassium bromate-induced nephrotoxicity by coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) in Wistar rats: chemoprevention against free radical-mediated renal oxidative stress and tumor promotion response

We report the modulatory effect of coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) on potassium bromate (KBrO3) mediated nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats. KBrO3 (125 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) enhances gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, renal lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase and hydrogen peroxide (H 202) generation with reduction in renal glutathione content and antioxidant enzymes. It also enhances blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and [H-3]-thymidine incorporation into renal DNA. Treatment of rats orally with coumarin (10 mg/kg body weight and 20 mg/kg body weight) resulted in a significant decrease in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase, H2O2 generation, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, renal ODC activity and DNA synthesis (P < 0.001). Renal glutathione content (P < 0.01) and antioxidant enzymes were also recovered to significant level (P < 0.001). These results show that coumarin may be used as an effective chemopreventive agent against KBrO3-mediated renal oxidative stress, toxicity and tumor promotion response in Wistar rats.