ROLE　OF　REACTIVE　OXYGEN　METABOLITES　IN　GENTAMICIN　NEPHROTOXICITY　IN　RATS　AND　ITS　TREATMENT　WITH　GIN

Objective:To　study　whether　ginsenoside(GS)　c ould　ameliorate　the　harmful　effects　of　gent amicin(GM)　and　promote　tubular　regeneration 　when　used　after　onset　of　 acute　 renal　failu re.Methods:Thirtytwo　male　Wistar　rats　were 　allocate　into　three　groups:　 group　I　in　whi ch　normal　saline　was　given　intraperitoneall y　for　 seven　days,Group　II　and　Group　III　in　 which　GM　was　injected　intraperitoneally　for 　seven　days　separately.In　the　following　sev en　days,rats　in　Group　II　drank　freely　as　a　 model　group,while　animals　in　Group　III　were 　fed　GS　by　gavage.All　rats　were　sacrificed　 at　the　15th　day.Results: Serum　creatnine(SCR ),serum　malondialdehyde(SMDA)　and　renal　cor tical　malondialdehyde(RCMDA)　levels　in　Grou p　II　were　shown　significantly　higher　than　t hose　in　Group　I　and　Group　III.Serum　superox ide　dismutase(SSOD)　and　renal　cortical　supe roxide　dismutase(RCSOD)　activities　decrease d　statistically　in　Group　II　than　those　in　G roup　I　and　Group　III.Although　the　increment 　of　SCR　was　not　significantly　higher　in　Gro up　III　compared　to　that　in　Group　I,the　incr ement　of　SMDA　and　RCMDA　together　with　the　d ecrement　of　SSOD　and　RCSOD　activities　was　s tatistically　different　between　them.And　in　 comparison　of　that　in　Group　II,light　micros copic　findings　showed　a　mild　damage　and　a　r apid　recovery　of　proximal　tubular　epithelia l　cells　in　Group　III.Conclusion:　Increment　 of　reactive　oxygen　metabolites(ROM)　and　dec rement　of　renal　antioxidant　ability　play　a　 role　in　GM　nephrotoxicity　in　rats,　and　GS　m ay　ameliorate　renal　damage　and　promote　recovery　of　proximal　tubular　cells　and　renal　function　via　scavenging　of　ROM.