Cisplatin is one of the potent chemotherapeutic drugs widely used for the treatment of various types of cancers. However, nephrotoxicity severely restricts the use of this anticancer drug. Alantolactone is a sesquiterpene lactone that exerts a number of biologic properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and antibacterial activities. This study investigated the role of alantolactone in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and the underlying mechanism. Results showed that alantolactone significantly increased the viability of human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) exposed to cisplatin. Besides, alantolactone inhibited the expression of tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6, as well as the production of nitric oxide. Moreover, alantolactone inhibited the cisplatin-induced increased expression of p-p38/p38, p-JNK/JNK, p-ERK/ERK, and p-p65/p65, which is related to nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. This study suggests that alantolactone attenuates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Thus, alatolactone could be a potential candidate compound for cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy.