Ginger extract as a potential therapeutic intervention for gabapentin-induced renal toxicity in chick embryos

Gabapentin (GBP) is an antiepileptic drug designed to treat partial seizures and other neuropathic diseases; however, it has raised many concerns about its toxic effects and interactions. The current study investigated the potential protective effect of ginger extract against kidney damage in chick embryos exposed to GBP during organogenesis. White Leghorn eggs were divided into five groups, namely 1) Control; with no injection, 2) Sham, with distilled water injection, 3) Ginger, with 4.5mg/egg ginger injection, 4) GBP, with 5.4 mg/egg GBP injection and 5) Ginger+GBP, with combined injection. Chick embryos injected with GBP exhibited severe kidney abnormalities, including tubular damage, glomerular atrophy, and increased Caspase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression as indicators of apoptosis, as well as swollen and ruptured mitochondria, degenerated nuclei and other ultrastructural damage. Ginger extract, when administered alongside GBP, significantly ameliorated these defects at the histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural levels. These findings suggest that caution should be implied when using GBP during pregnancy and highlight ginger as a promising therapeutic option to mitigate its detrimental effects on fetal kidney development.