A study published in Pediatric Discovery in 2025 reports that an aqueous extract of Phyllanthus urinaria L (PU) protected mice against acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy drug with dose-limiting nephrotoxicity. The research, conducted at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and affiliated laboratories in Chongqing, China, provides preclinical evidence that PU may safeguard renal tubular epithelial cells through multiple pathways. The findings matter because cisplatin causes AKI in nearly 30% of recipients, and current management relies heavily on supportive care and renal replacement therapy due to a lack of effective preventive medicines.
In the experiment, 24 male C57BL/6 mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin at 20 mg/kg. The treatment group also received PU at 250 mg/kg by oral gavage on days 0–2, and kidney and blood samples were collected on day 4. All mice survived. Cisplatin raised blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr), disrupted tubular architecture, and increased neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). PU significantly attenuated these changes. The extract also suppressed messenger RNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes Il1b, Il6, and Tnf, rebalanced apoptosis-related proteins by lowering Bax and cleaved caspase-3 while raising Bcl-2, and restored antioxidant defenses by reducing malondialdehyde, increasing superoxide dismutase activity, and restoring NRF2 and NQO1 expression. Histology showed more organized tubules in the PU group compared with cisplatin-only mice.
The authors said the study offers a multi-pathway rationale for PU rather than a single-target effect, linking the extract to anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and antioxidant actions. They emphasized that the mouse data are encouraging but early, and that next steps should define active compounds, optimize dosing, and test safety and efficacy in clinically relevant models before any patient use is considered. The findings were reported under DOI 10.1002/pdi3.70000.
For patients receiving cisplatin, a nephroprotective adjunct could widen therapeutic options and reduce treatment interruptions, but PU is not ready for clinical use on the basis of this mouse study. The findings point to several research priorities: identify the constituents responsible for the effects, confirm target engagement in human cells or organoids, determine whether PU interferes with cisplatin's anticancer activity, and evaluate safety, dosing, and drug interactions. Such work would need to balance kidney protection with unchanged tumor killing. If those questions are addressed, PU could become a candidate for further development as a supportive therapy for cisplatin-associated kidney injury. The study therefore offers a preclinical lead, not a prescription.
The research was funded by the Chongqing Science and Health Joint Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Innovation and Application Development Project (2020ZY023877) and the Program for Youth Innovation in Future Medicine, Chongqing Medical University (W0056). The work reflects growing interest in natural products with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity as potential nephroprotective agents, though evidence for PU in cisplatin nephrotoxicity has been limited until now. The study's coordinated biochemical, histological, and molecular readouts provide a foundation for translational work, but clinical validation remains essential before any supportive therapy can be considered for patients.
