Nephroprotective activity of Macrothelypteris oligophlebia rhizomes ethanol extract.

BACKGROUND

Macrothelypteris oligophlebia (Bak.) Ching (Thelypteridaceae) is a Chinese herbal medicine used traditionally for the treatment of diseases such as edema, boils, burns, and roundworms. However, research about the nephroprotective potential of this plant is not available.

OBJECTIVE

Present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of ethanol extract of M. oligophlebia rhizomes (EMO) on gentamicin (GM)-induced nephrotoxicity.

METHODS

Rats were intraperitoneal (i.p.) injected with GM (100 mg/kg) to induce nephrotoxicity and simultaneously EMO (250 and 500 mg/kg) was orally given to GM-treated rats for 8 days. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Cr), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were evaluated in renal tissues. Histopathological analysis was used for evaluation of the renal damage.

RESULTS

Administration with GM-induced renal dysfunction in rats. Pre-treatment with EMO (500 mg/kg) significantly decreased the levels of BUN, Cr, MDA and NO (decreased BUN from 12.71 ± 1.28 to 7.19 ± 0.23 mmol/l, Cr from 39.77 ± 5.34 to 19.17 ± 0.90 μmol/l, MDA from 5.60 ± 0.37 to 2.63 ± 0.24 nmol/ml, and NO from 868.17 ± 22.67 to 589.51 ± 8.83 μmol/ml), and also restored the activities of renal antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px) (restored SOD from 1.59 ± 0.17 to 2.94 ± 0.13 U/mg protein, CAT from 3.22 ± 0.34 to 10.57 ± 0.27 U/mg protein, and GSH-Px from 9.11 ± 1.29 to 20.72 ± 1.83 U/mg protein).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the rhizomes of M. oligophlebia potentially have a protective role in renal tissue against oxidative stress in acute renal failure.