Effects of vitamin B1/B6/B12 complex on methotrexate-induced hepatorenal toxicity in a short-term acute rat model

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Semiz A., Deniz E., Topçu A., Mataracı Karakaş S., Öztürk Ç., Yavuz Bedir E.

NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY, ss.1-16, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

Özet

This study evaluated the effects of vitamin B1/B6/B12 complex supplementation on methotrexate (MTX)-induced hepatorenal injury in a short-term, single-dose acute rat model. Male Wistar rats were assigned to control, MTX, low-dose (MTX + VB-L), and high-dose (MTX + VB-H) vitamin B complex groups. A single MTX (20 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally on day 7. Vitamin B1/B6/B12 was administered intraperitoneally daily at 16/16/0.16 or 32/32/0.32 mg/kg on days 1–14. Samples were collected on day 14. Serum AST, ALT, urea, and creatinine, hepatic, and renal thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total thiol (TT), and histopathological changes were evaluated. MTX significantly increased AST, urea, creatinine, hepatic and renal TBARS, and multiple histopathological scores compared with controls. Compared with MTX alone, AST and hepatic TBARS were significantly lower only in the MTX + VB-H group, whereas creatinine and renal TBARS were significantly lower in both treatment groups. Renal TBARS was significantly lower in MTX + VB-L than in MTX + VB-H. Neither the treatment group differed significantly from the MTX group in ALT, urea, TT, or any hepatic or renal histopathological parameter. Vitamin B complex co-administration was associated with improvements in selected biochemical markers and lower TBARS levels, without statistically significant histopathological improvement. The absence of a vitamin-only group limits distinction between MTX-specific attenuation and independent formulation effects. Further preclinical studies are required before clinical implications can be established.