Nephroprotective impact of royal jelly against rhabdomyolysis-induced kidney damage in rats

Objective(s): The current work aimed at studying the impact of royal jelly on kidney damage caused by rhabdomyolysis in male rats. Materials and Methods: 40 male rats were randomly assigned to five groups of eight: control, rhabdomyolysis, and rhabdomyolysis, administered with three doses of royal jelly (RJ) (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) for seven days. On the fifth day, we injected glycerol intramuscularly to induce stress, apoptosis, and kidney tissue injury. Results: As a result of injecting glycerol, serum levels of creatinine, urea, and creatine phosphokinase were considerably elevated. The concentration of inflammatory mediators, as well as the expression of apoptotic parameters, was significantly elevated after glycerol injection. The percentage of kidney tissue damage and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin expression also increased significantly. Oral usage of RJ (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) caused a decline in serum CPK, tissue level of total thiols, catalase activity, and renal expression of BAX compared to the rhabdomyolysis group. Serum creatinine and NGAL expression were also significantly reduced by the RJ (200 and 400 mg/kg). RJ significantly reduced the concentration of inflammatory mediators at 100 and 200 mg/kg doses and the expression of bcl2 by RJ at 100 and 400 mg/kg doses. Conclusion: Royal jelly safeguards the kidney from rhabdomyolysis-related damage, primarily through its anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects.