Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of Rhodiola extract (RE) on cisplatin(DDP)-induced oxidative damage in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293). METHODS: HEK293 cells were cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into control group,DDP group (0,0.5,1,2,4,8,16,32,64 and 128 mg/L),RE group (0,0.25,0.5,1,2,4,8,16,32 and 64 mg/L),and RE (2-16 mg/L)+DDP (20 mg/L) group. The effect of RE and DDP on the growth of HEK293 cells and the protective effect of RE on DDP-induced cytotoxicity were determined using the CCK-8 assay. Glutathione (GSH) content was measured by dithiobisnitrobenzoate method. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was measured by thiobarbituric acid method. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was examined by xanthine oxidase method. RESULTS: Compared with the control group,cell survival rates decreased significantly (P < 0.01),and in a dose-dependent manner (r=0.85,P=0.002). The survival rate of RE increased gradually in the range of 0.5-16 mg/L (P < 0.01). When RE concentration was 64 mg/L,the growth of HEK293 cells was inhibited significantly (P < 0.01). The inhibitory effect of 6-16 mg/L RE preconditioning on cell survival with 20 mg/L DDP was significantly higher than that of DDP group (P < 0.01). Compared with DDP group,RE could significantly inhibit the increase of MDA content induced by DDP and the decrease of SOD activity and GSH content (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: RE treatment enhances the viability of HEK293 cells. In addition,DDP-induced damages in HEK293 cells were remarkedly reversed by RE,and provided protection against DDP-induced nephrotoxicity.

Key words: Rhodiola extract, cisplatin, nephrotoxicity, antioxidant