Histological, ultrastructural, and biochemical studies on the expected role of thyme oil on ameliorating renal toxicity induced by doxorubicin in female albino rats

Doxorubicin is antibiotics anticancer drug which proved to be useful in treatment of cancer, but it has bad effect on healthy body organs. Thymus vulgaris (thyme) cultivated around the world for cosmetic, cooking, and medical uses. So, the present work aims to investigate the possible ameliorating effect of thyme oil on renal toxicity induced by doxorubicin. Adult female albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) were randomly divided into four groups (5 rats/group): control group, thyme group received orally 0.5 mL thyme oil/kg body weight once/week for 6 consecutive weeks, doxorubicin group received intraperitoneally 2 mg doxorubicin/kg body weight once/week for 6 consecutive weeks, and doxorubicin + thyme group received both doxorubicin and thyme oil once/week for 6 consecutive weeks. A significant rising in urea and creatinine level in the sera of rats injected with doxorubicin was recorded. Moreover, their kidney sections showed degenerated, vacuolated and little hemorrhage glomeruli, abnormal renal tubular cells, aggregation of mononuclear leucocytes and hyaline cast. Ultrastructure examination showed degenerated glomerular endothelial, untypical filtrating barrier, degenerated podocyte, mesangial cell, pathological proximal and distal tubular cell with damage microvilli. Treating rats with thyme oil after doxorubicin decreases the elevated levels of urea and creatinine. The glomeruli, Podocyte, intraglomerular mesangial cells and glomerular filtration barrier approximately restored its typical structure, the winding in Bouma’s space is disappeared. Most tubular cells have normal nuclei and cytoplasm. Thyme oil can improve renal functions, histological and ultrastructural changes induced by doxorubicin. So, it can be used to decrease its side effect on kidney. Keywords: Doxorubicin, Histology, Ultrastructure, Thyme oil, urea, creatinine.