Gentamicin (G) is a highly nephrotoxic aminoglucoside. It was used to experimentally induce nephrotoxicity in male Wistar rats. To find a drug capable of protecting the nephron we assayed a cardioprotector (trimetazidine, TMZ) and a hepatoprotector (N-acetyl cysteine, NAC). The rats were divided into six groups (n = 8): (A) control without drugs; (B) treated with 50 mg kg(-1) per day (i.p.) of G for 7 days; (C) diet supplemented with 20 mg kg(-1) per day of TMZ for 7 days; (D) treated with 10 mg kg(-1) per day (i.p.) of NAC for 7 days; (E) pretreated for 7 days with 20 mg kg(-1) per day of TMZ and during the following 7 days with G + TMZ; (F) pretreated for 7 days with 10 mg kg(-1) per day (i.p.) of NAC and during the following 7 days with G + NAC. Urea and creatinine as well as the excretion of urinary gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT(u)) and urinary N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG(u)) were determined and structural and ultrastructural studies were carried out. Group B was used as a G-induced nephrotoxicity control. Pretreatment with TMZ (E) showed a protector effect against induced nephrotoxicity, with no biochemical or functional changes nor alterations in histoarchitecture or ultrastructure. Pretreatment with NAC (F) showed no protector effect against G-induced nephrotoxicity since no statistically significant differences were found with respect to the control group with G. We conclude that G-induced nephrotoxicity is attenuated by the cytoprotective effect of TMZ. We may infer that TMZ inhibits the reabsorption and consequently the accumulation of G in the proximal tubule cell.