Therapeutic potential of Origanum vulgare leaf hydroethanolic extract against renal oxidative stress and nephrotoxicity induced by paraquat in rats

• Main Authors: Ali Sharifi-Rigi, Esfandiar Heidarian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences 2019-10-01
• Series: Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine
• Subjects: Antioxidant; Kidney; Nephrotoxicity; Paraquat; Oxidative stress; TNF-α
• Online Access: http://ajp.mums.ac.ir/article_13466_da0fb9b1b010354619682c0106058151.pdf

<span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Objective: </strong>Paraquat is a herbicide with potent toxicity in humans and animals. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of <em>Origanum vulgare</em></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> (<em>O. vulgare</em></span><span style="font-size: medium;">) leaf extract</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> on the acute nephrotoxicity and renal oxidative stress caused by paraquat.</span><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Materials and Methods: </span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">We randomly assigned forty male rats into five groups (G1-G5). The G1 was used as control; G2 only received paraquat (25 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day, <em>po</em></span><span style="font-size: medium;">); and G3, G4 and G5 received 25 mg/kg b.w/day oral doses of paraquat and </span><em><span style="font-size: medium;">O. vulgare</span></em><span style="font-size: medium;"> hydroethanolic leaf extract (200, 400, 800 mg/kg bw/day, </span><em><span style="font-size: medium;">po</span></em><span style="font-size: medium;">, respectively). After 2 weeks, superoxide dismutase (SOD), renal catalase (CAT), vitamin C levels, histopathological changes, and tumor necrosis factor-α (</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><em>TNF-α</em>) gene expression as well as serum levels of urea, creatinine (Cr), and protein carbonyl (PC) were determined.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Results:</strong> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">In G2, oral administration of paraquat significantly increased (p<0.05) serum Cr, urea, PC, and renal <em>TNF-α</em></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> gene expression</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> relative to those of the control group. Renal catalase, superoxide dismutase, and vitamin C levels were decreased significantly (p<0.05) in G2 as compared to G1. Administration of <em>O. vulgare</em> leaf extract not only increased the renal </span><span style="font-size: medium;">vitamin C, CAT, and SOD but also decreased the renal <em>TNF-α</em></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> gene expression, </span><span style="font-size: medium;">malondialdehyde (MDA), serum urea and creatinine in paraquat-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. </span><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Conclusion: </span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Our results show that <em>O. vulgare</em></span><span style="font-size: medium;">leaf extract has protective effects against nephrotoxicity induced by paraquat in rats. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">It seems that the nephroprotective effects of <em>O. vulgare </em></span><span style="font-size: medium;">extract may be related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.</span>