Effect of Rheum emodi (Revand Hindi) on renal functions in rats.

The renal effects of water-soluble (W-S) and water-insoluble (W-INS) portions of the alcoholic extract of Revand Hindi (Rheum emodi) were investigated on cadmium chloride, mercuric chloride, potassium dichromate and gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats and normal rats by monitoring the levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine in serum. The present investigations provide evidences that W-S fraction has nephroprotective effect on all the proximal tubule segments (S1, S2 and S3) possibly through antioxidant action of the tannins present in the fraction. W-INS also improved the renal function by protecting S2 segment of proximal tubule nephrotoxicity induced by metals viz cadmium chloride and mercuric chloride in rat models, however, this fraction has been found to enhance gentamicin nephrotoxicity.