Renogrit selectively protects against cisplatin-induced injury in human renal tubular cells and in Caenorhabditis elegans by harmonizing apoptosis and mitophagy

Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity restricts its clinical use against solid tumors. The present study elucidated the pharmacological effects of Renogrit, a plant-derived prescription medicine, using cisplatin-induced human renal proximal tubular (HK-2) cells and Caenorhabditis elegans. Quantification of phytochemicals in Renogrit was performed on HPTLC and UHPLC platforms. Renogrit was assessed in vitro in HK-2 cells post-exposure to clinically relevant concentration of cisplatin. It was observed that renoprotective properties of Renogrit against cisplatin-induced injury stem from its ability to regulate renal injury markers (KIM-1, NAG levels; NGAL mRNA expression), redox imbalance (ROS generation; GST levels), and mitochondrial dysfunction (mitochondrial membrane potential; SKN-1, HSP-60 expression). Renogrit was also found to modulate apoptosis (EGL-1 mRNA expression; protein levels of p-ERK, p-JNK, p-p38, c-PARP1), necroptosis (intracellular calcium accumulation; RIPK1, RIPK3, MLKL mRNA expression), mitophagy (lysosome population; mRNA expression of PINK1, PDR1; protein levels of p-PINK1, LC3B), and inflammation (IL-1 beta activity; protein levels of LXR-alpha). More importantly, Renogrit treatment did not hamper normal anti-proliferative effects of cisplatin as observed from cytotoxicity analysis on MCF-7, A549, SiHa, and T24 human cancer cells. Taken together, Renogrit could be a potential clinical candidate to mitigate cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity without compromising the anti-neoplastic properties of cisplatin.