Acetaminophen, APAP, is a common over-the-counter drug with antipyretic-analgesic action. When APAP is used in large doses,
it causes hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity but safe at therapeutic doses. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is extensively
used in folk medicine due to its high content of natural antioxidants. The current investigation was planned to study the possible
ameliorative effect of cinnamon toward induced APAP-apoptosis and cellular damage in renal cells. Four groups (nine rats each)
were used; negative control group administrated distilled water for 15 days; positive control APAP group administrated a single
dose of APAP (1 g/kg) orally on the last day; APAP+Cin L (200 mg/kg) and APAP+Cin H (400 mg/kg) aqueous extract of
cinnamon orally once a day for 15 days. An hour after the last dose of cinnamon, all rats in the third and fourth group were
administrated a single dose of APAP (1 g/kg) orally. GC/MS analysis was performed to identify the plant used in the study. APAP
markedly increased serum levels of creatinine, BUN, and glucose and decreased levels of albumin and total protein. In addition,
APAP could also exert severe alteration in the kidney histopathology along with upregulation of caspase-3 and PCNA. However,
pre-treatment with cinnamon ameliorated the APAP-induced cellular alterations and apoptosis, possibly through its high content |
