Tea catechin extracts reduced sub-acute and sub-chronic toxicity of the cisplatin drug in BALB/c mice

Abstract

Cisplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic drug but causes kidney, liver, gastrointestinal, and heart toxicity. Tea catechins, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may synergistically reduce these adverse effects. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of tea catechin extracts against cisplatin-induced toxicity in female BALB/c mice. An in vivo experimental study was conducted using 48 female BALB/c mice, aged 7–8 weeks and weighing 25–30 g, divided equally into sub-acute (28 days) and sub-chronic (90 days) toxicity models. Mice were allocated into four groups: control, catechin-only, cisplatin-only, and catechin plus cisplatin. Tea catechins were extracted from BB35 and Purple (TRFK306) tea clones and quantified using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Mice received catechin extract at 100 mg/kg/day orally and cisplatin at 7 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Haematological (Complete Blood Count (CBC)) and biochemical parameters (Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Creatine kinase (CK), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Creatinine, and Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)), interleukins (Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6)), and gene expression analyses using Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) were performed. Catechin extracts increased White Blood Cells (WBC), Red Blood Cells (RBC), Platelets (PLT), Haemoglobin (HB), and Haematocrit (HCT) in cisplatin-induced toxicity mice. They reduced biochemical markers of toxicity: ALP (209.55 ± 17.18 U/L), ALT (111.6 ± 13.15 U/L), AST (114.35 ± 4.38 U/L), CK (586 ± 48.08 µg/mL), LDH (586 ± 48.08 U/L), BUN (7.68 ± 0.25 mmol/L), and Creatinine (50.5 ± 3.53 µmol/L). They also downregulated gene expression: IL-1β (1.87 ± 0.74/1.09 ± 0.74), IL-6 (1.34 ± 0.81/1.43 ± 0.24), Mip-1a (1.12 ± 0.60/1.94 ± 1.05), and Nfkb1 (1.24 ± 0.58/1.98 ± 0.29). In conclusion, catechin extracts reduced sub-acute and sub-chronic cisplatin-induced toxicity in female BALB/c mice.