Rosmanol alleviates glycerol-induced acute kidney injury through its antioxidative and anti-apoptotic properties via ameliorating the PGC‑1α/SIRT3 signalling pathway.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents a fatal complication of rhabdomyolysis, which is characterised by skeletal muscle damage and necrosis. Consequently, cell contents are released into the bloodstream, eventually obstructing renal tubules, which causes renal dysfunction due to elevated inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Rosmanol (RM) is a phenolic diterpene compound isolated from Rosmarinus officinalis (Roary), which reveals antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and nephroprotective activities. Hence, we explore the nephroprotective efficacy of RM against glycerol-induced AKI in an in vivo model. Experimental rats were generally segregated into 4 sets. Group I: Normal control (NC); Group II: Glycerol alone; Group III-IV: Glycerol + RM (20 and 40 mg/kg bw); Group V: RM alone (40 mg/kg bw). Glycerol-induced rats revealed considerably increased (P < 0.05) renal toxicity markers, oxidative stress, caspase proteins, apoptosis, collagen deposition, and histopathological damages, while reduced antioxidative activity and PGC‑1α/SIRT3 signalling. Administration of RM (20 and 40 mg/kg bw) in the glycerol-stimulated rats remarkably diminished (P < 0.05) renal toxicity markers, oxidative stress, caspase proteins, apoptosis, histopathological damages, and collagen deposition, while markedly elevated (P < 0.05) antioxidant activity and mitochondrial function via enhancing PGC‑1α/SIRT3 pathway. These findings established that RM might be protective against rhabdomyolysis-triggered AKI by its antioxidative, anti-apoptotic, and nephroprotective properties.