RETRACTED: Potassium bromate-induced nephrotoxicity and potential curative role of metformin loaded on gold nanoparticles

Abstract

Potassium bromate (KBrO₃) is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a carcinogenic compound, where it causes renal tumors. The present study investigated the potential curative effect of metformin loaded on gold nanoparticles (MET AuNPs) in attenuating KBrO₃-induced nephrotoxicity. Rats were divided into eight groups (control, MET, AuNPs, MET AuNPs, KBrO₃, KBrO₃/MET, KBrO₃/AuNPS, and KBrO₃/MET AuNPs). KBrO₃ administration resulted in a significant elevation in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), creatinine, urea, uric acid. Also, KBrO₃ significantly increased renal malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), and nitric oxide (NO) levels and reduced the activities of antioxidant molecules superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and Reduced glutathione (GSH). It also caused damaged DNA spots in comet assay and increased inflammatory IL-6 and apoptotic markers (caspase 3, Bax) while antiapoptotic Bcl-2 was significantly reduced. MET, AuNPS, MET AuNPS reduced the extent of renal damage induced by KBrO₃ as indicated by decreased (AST, ALT, ALP, Alb, TP, TB, DB, creatinine, urea, uric, Lipid profile). MET, AuNPS, MET AuNPS showed a good curative effect against KBrO₃-induced nephrotoxicity and MET AuNPS group showed better results compared with monotherapy.