Evaluating N-acetylcysteine for mitigating cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and ionocyte damage in a zebrafish model

Abstract

In this study, we examined the protective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against cisplatin-induced toxicity in zebrafish embryos. Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II), a widely used anticancer drug, is associated with significant cytotoxic effects toward non-target tissues, including renal and ototoxic damage. Using zebrafish embryos exposed to cisplatin, we evaluated survival rates, hatching rates, ionocyte densities, oxidative stress, and platinum accumulation. NAC co-treatment significantly enhanced survival and hatching rates, preserved ionocyte density, mitigated oxidative stress, and reduced platinum accumulation. These findings highlight ionocytes as an effective model for assessing non-renal toxicity due to their high metabolic activity and mitochondrial abundance. The results suggest that NAC might serve as a co-therapeutic agent to alleviate cisplatin-induced toxicity during chemotherapy.