Punicalagin Ameliorating Renal Cell Tumors Against N-Diethylnitrosamine-initiated Iron Nitrilotriacetate-induced Carcinogenesis

Abstract

Background Renal cell carcinoma, the most prominent kind of adult kidney cancer, lacks early warning symptoms, leading to metastases at the time of diagnosis. Renal cell carcinoma begins with N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and is accelerated by ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA), which may be a good research model for renal cell carcinoma. Purpose This study was designed to unveil the protective potential of punicalagin against renal cell tumors induced by Fe-NTA in male mice. Methods Renal cancer initiation was achieved through a single intraperitoneal injection of DEN (200 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.)), followed by promotion using Fe-NTA (9 mg Fe/kg b.wt. intraperitoneally) administered twice weekly over 16 weeks. Simultaneously, mice were subjected to punicalagin (10 mg/kg b.wt.) for an uninterrupted 16-week duration. The chemopreventive efficacy of punicalagin was assessed by evaluating antioxidant activities, oxidative stress markers, renal function parameters, histopathological examinations, and immunohistochemical analyses. Results Results showed a significant reduction in DEN and Fe-NTA-mediated lipid peroxidation, concurrent with the amelioration of renal function, as reflected by diminished levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and kidney injury molecule-1 in punicalagin-treated mice. Furthermore, punicalagin restored the renal antioxidant parameters like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione in DEN and Fe-NTA-treated mice. Further, it was observed that punicalagin reduces the expression of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (levels and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified protein adducts within the kidney tissue. Conclusion These findings were further substantiated by histological examinations. Our current findings indicate that punicalagin might be a potential contender for preventing renal cancer, likely due to its capacity to reduce oxidative stress in laboratory animals.