The effect of methylprednisolone on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat renal cortical slices.

To investigate the protective action of methylprednisolone against cisplatin nephrotoxicity, the effect of in vivo pretreatment with methylprednisolone on the cisplatin-induced reduction in p-aminohippurate (PAH) accumulation and gluconeogenesis was examined using renal cortical slices prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats. The PAH accumulation in the kidney slices prepared from methylprednisolone-pretreated rats was significantly reduced following in vitro incubation with 2 mM cisplatin, to a degree equal to that observed in the slices prepared from untreated rats. However, the inhibitory effect of cisplatin on gluconeogenesis in the renal cortical slices obtained from methylprednisolone-pretreated rats was significantly smaller than that seen in the slices from untreated rats. Our present studies suggest that in vivo pretreatment with methylprednisolone may contribute to its protective effect against cisplatin nephrotoxicity through the process of gluconeogenesis in renal epithelial cells.