Nephroprotective Effect of Echinodorus macrophyllus Micheli on Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats.
OBJECTIVE
Leaves of Echinodorus macrophyllus (EM), from the Alismataceae family, have been used in Brazilian folk medicine for their anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. In this work, the diuretic and nephroprotective activities of crude extracts of EM were evaluated.


METHODS
Normal Wistar rats were given 0.9% NaCl containing either EM (10-300 mg/kg), furosemide (13 mg/kg) or arginine vasopressin (0.2 mg/kg). Thereafter, the rats were individually housed in metabolic cages, and urine volume was measured every 30 min for a total of 3 h. Acute kidney injury was induced by gentamicin (GM, 80 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1), b.i.d., 5 days). Along with GM, 0.9% NaCl (control) or EM (30 mg/kg) was given to the rats by gavage.


RESULTS
EM produced a dose-dependent reduction in urine elimination. EM was effective in reversing all GM-induced alterations such as polyuria and glomerular filtration rate reduction. The GM-induced morphological alterations were not observed when EM was given concomitantly with GM.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence that EM possesses nephroprotective effect which indicates that EM may have therapeutic applications in GM-induced acute kidney injury.
Departments of Physiology and Biophysics Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Viviane Gomes
VG
Portella
Gustavo Pereira
GP
Cosenza
Lúcio Ricardo Leite
LR
Diniz
Lílian Fernanda
LF
Pacheco
Giovanni Dantas
GD
Cassali
Marcelo Vidigal
MV
Caliari
Maria das Graças Lins
Md
Brandão
Maria Aparecida Ribeiro
MA
Vieira