Cisplatin and/or etoposide induces oxidative stress in testicular, hepatic and kidney tissues in male albino mice

Cisplatin and etoposide are used to treat malignancies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the adverse effects of these anti-cancer drugs on tissue oxidative status in male mice. Healthy male mice were divided into four groups, each consisting of eight animals. The first group was served as control and injected with saline; animals in the groups 2 and 3 were injected with cisplatin and etoposide respectively. The animals in group 4 were administered with both cisplatin and etoposide. Injections were given intraperitoneally three times per week for 35 days on 1st, 3rd and 5th day of the week. Animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on 36th day, tissues were isolated and analyzed for oxidative stress. Significant decrease in tissue indices was observed in mice injected with cisplatin and/or etoposide. The activity levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly decreased with an increase in levels of lipid peroxidation in testicular, liver and kidney tissues of experimental mice when compared to controls.The results suggest that the administration of anticancer drugs such as cisplatin and/or etoposide during chemotherapy induces oxidative stress in all tissues. To mitigate the oxidative stress during chemotherapy, it is hereby advised to co-administer anti-oxidants to the patient undergoing chemotherapy.