Investigation of the Effects of Carvacrol on Oxytetracycline-Induced Kidney Damage

The main objective of this study was to assess the antioxidant capacity and the protective impact of carvacrol (CRV) against oxytetracycline (OXI)-mediated nephrotoxicity in albino rats. CRV, a naturally occurring phenolic compound found in various plant species, has significant antioxidant capacity, the ability to mitigate inflammatory processes, and tumor proliferation inhibiting properties. The study evaluated the efficacy of CRV in reducing oxidative stress-induced kidney damage in albino rats. Findings showed that CRV administration significantly reduced the kidney damage relative to the control group. Evaluation of the enzymatic antioxidant profile indicated a significant decrease in the activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes and GSH levels in the OXI-treated group compared to the CRV group. Furthermore, CRV treatment decreased malondialdehyde (MDA), a key biomarker of lipid peroxidation. The protective properties of CRV were confirmed by histological examination of the kidney. CRV treatment markedly suppressed pro-inflammatory molecules, specifically diminishing the expression of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and mitigating nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation. Furthermore, CRV administration attenuated OXI-induced increases in the proapoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3, while increasing the transcriptional activity of the antiapoptotic gene B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). CRV diminished OXI-induced kidney tissue damage by decreasing Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) and increasing Aquaporin-2 (AQP-2) levels. The study results indicate that CRV administration can alleviate tissue damage in the kidney caused by OXI toxicity.