Potassium bromate (KBrO₃) is a food additive which is used primarily as a maturing agent for flour. It is proved as a toxic agent with significant reduction in the activities of antioxidant capacity. The therapeutic efficacy of vitamin C as antioxidant may provide a possible solution to KBrO₃ mediated oxidative damage. Twenty four adult male albino rats were used to evaluate the protective role of vitamin C against KBrO₃ induced hepatotoxicity and divided into four groups; Group 1 (control), Group 2: received 30 mg/Kg/day vitamin C orally for 4 weeks, Group 3: received 20 mg/Kg/dose KBrO₃ orally twice weekly for 4 weeks and Group 4: received both KBrO₃ and vitamin C. Liver specimens were processed for histological study by light and electron microscopes and stained immunohistochemically to detect glial fibriller acidic protein (GFAP). Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were estimated as well as the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in all dissected tissues were determined. KBrO₃ induced histological alterations in the form of degeneration, cellular infiltration and significant increase in collagen deposition in portal tracts with a significant increase in immunoexpression of GFAP. Significant rise in serum levels of AST, ALT, and MDA in liver tissues were recorded. However, levels of GSH and SOD were significantly decreased. Most of these changes were improved by vitamin C treatment. In conclusion, vitamin C ameliorates the histological and biochemical alterations of the liver induced by KBrO₃. Anat Rec, 299:1256–1269, 2016.

Vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity has been reported to occur in 5%–25% of patients who were administered with it. Several natural antioxidants were found to be effective against drug-induced toxicity. We evaluated the possible protective effects of spirulina and pycnogenol alone or in combination on vancomycin-induced renal cortical oxidative stress. Forty-nine rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: group I, control; group II, received spirulina 1000 mg/kg per day; group III, received pycnogenol 200 mg/kg per day; group IV, received vancomycin 200 mg/kg per day every 12 h; group V, (spirulina + vancomycin); group VI, (pycnogenol + vancomycin); and group VII, (pycnogenol + spirulina + vancomycin). At the end of the experiment, kidney functions were estimated and then the kidneys were removed, weighed, and sampled for histopathological, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical studies. Administration of spirulina and pycnogenol alone or in combination decreased elevated serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, renal malondialdehyde, and immunoexpression of the proapoptotic protein (Bax), autophagic marker protein (LC3/B), and inducible nitric oxide synthase induced by vancomycin. They increased reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and immunoexpression of the antiapoptotic protein (Bcl2). They also ameliorated the morphological changes induced by vancomycin. The combination therapy of spirulina and pycnogenol showed better protective effects than the corresponding monotherapy.