Ocimum gratissimum Ameliorates Gentamicin-Induced Kidney Injury but Decreases Creatinine Clearance Following Sub-Chronic Administration in Rats

The effects of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum leaf (AOGL) on the renal function of rats with gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity were investigated. This study involved the use of forty five (45) adult male Wistar rats (housed in separate metabolic cages) such that graded doses of OAGL were administered to the experimental groups (p.o.) for 28 days after exposure to gentamicin toxicity (100 mg/kg i.p.) for 1 week. At the end of the study, comparisons of some indices of renal function as well as antioxidant status (GSH and TBARS) were made between the control, toxic and AOGL-treated groups at P < 0.05. The result showed that gentamicin treatment caused significant increase (P < .05) in urine output, urea, creatinine, total protein, relative kidney weight, and TBARS, as well as significant decrease (P < .05) in urine creatinine and GSH levels. Post-treatment with graded doses of AOGL caused significant increase in food consumption, GSH, urine, and plasma creatinine, as well as significant decrease (P < .05) in relative kidney weight, TBARS, and urine total protein. There was an appreciable difference in the kidney histology of the AOGL-treated groups when compared with the toxic control. Hence, the extract has therapeutic potential in the management of gentamicin-induced kidney injury, although a risk profile of renal dysfunction is not unlikely from 28 days of administration as evident by the decrease in creatinine clearance

Amelioration of Cadmium-Induced Nephropathy using Polyphenol-rich Extract of Vernonia amygdalina (Del.) Leaves in Rat Model

AIM: To determine the effects of polyphenol-rich extract of the leaves of Vernonia amygdalina (PEVA) in rats with Cd-induced nephropathy.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty five male Wistar rats were divided into five groups as follows; Group 1 received distilled water throughout the period of study. Group 2 received 5 mg/kg body weight of cadmium (Cd), in the form of CdSO4, for five consecutive days via intraperitoneal route. Groups 3, 4 and 5 were pretreated with Cd as group 2 and thereafter received oral treatment of PEVA for 4 weeks at 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight, respectively.RESULTS: Exposure to Cd toxicity significantly induced deleterious alterations in plasma and urine levels of creatinine, urea and glucose as well as creatinine and urea clearance (p &lt; 0.05) in the rat model. There was a significant disturbance in the antioxidant system as revealed by the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) (p &lt; 0.05) in the kidney tissue of the rats. With marked improvements in renal histoarchitecture, PEVA treatment showed a duration and non dose-dependent ameliorative potential. CONCLUSION: PEVA treatment reversed the compromise of renal function that was induced by Cd toxicity in rat model

Prophylactic and Curative Assessment of Essentiale Forte® On Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Damage in Wistar Rats

AIM: This study was to assess the prophylactic and curative effects of Essentiale forte (ESF) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver damage in Wistar rats.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of six rats each. Group I (control group) received 0.3 ml/kg/day of propylene glycol for one month; group II (toxic control) was given 0.7 ml/kg/day of CCl4 dissolved in olive oil (1:1,v/v) orally for 7 days; group III (prophylactic group) received 4.3 mg/kg/day of ESF for one month followed by CCl4 for one week; group IV (curative group) was treated with CCl4 for one week and subsequently received ESF (4.3 mg/kg/day) for one month. Half of the rats were sacrificed at active period, the other half after a 2-week recovery period.RESULTS: The activities of serum AST, ALT, ALP, total bilirubin level were significantly higher, total protein and GSH levels were significantly reduced in the toxic control group compared to the control group. Group III had significantly higher AST and ALT activities compared to the control rats at active period, whereas after the recovery period no significant differences were observed in almost all the parameters. Moreover, no significant differences in the parameters mentioned above were observed in group IV compared to the control rats at active and recovery period.CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that Essential forte was better as a curative agent rather than a prophylactic agent in rats

Kolaviron attenuates diclofenac-induced nephrotoxicity in male Wistar rats

The beneficial effects of kolaviron, a natural biflavonoid from the seeds of Garcinia kola, have been attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study was designed to investigate the renoprotective effect of kolaviron in rat model of diclofenac (DFC)-induced acute renal failure. Thirty-five male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups of five rats each as follows: a control group that received propylene glycol orally and treatment groups that received diclofenac, diclofenac followed by kolaviron at three different doses and kolaviron only. Diclofenac treated rats showed sluggishness, illness and anorexia. Their urine contained appreciable protein, glucose and ketone bodies. Histopathological examination of their kidneys revealed profound acute tubular necrosis. Diclofenac treatment significantly increased levels of plasma creatinine, urea, sodium, chloride, potassium ions, and increased renal tissue activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide. Fractional excretion of sodium and potassium and renal tissue levels of reduced glutathione and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) decreased significantly in DFC treated groups. However, kolaviron administration significantly reduced toxic effect of DFC on PGE2 release, plasma levels of creatinine, urea, glucose, and electrolytes and significantly attenuated renal tubular and oxidative damages. Furthermore, the effects of DFC administration on food consumption, water intake, urine output and urine protein, glucose, ketone bodies and electrolytes, were significantly attenuated in animals treated with kolaviron. The results suggested that kolaviron ameliorated DFC-induced kidney injury in Wistar rats by decreasing renal oxidative damage and restoration of renal PGE2 release back to the basal levels.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author