title: Preventive treatment of calcium oxalate crystal deposition with immortal flowers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A number of medicinal plants are used for their diuretic, urolithiatic and anti-inflammatory effects on urinary system problems in Turkey and the most common traditional remedy for kidney stones is the tea of immortal flowers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the preventive effect of infusions prepared from capitulums of Helichrysum graveolens (M.Bieb.) Sweet (HG) and Helichrysum stoechas ssp. barellieri (Ten.) Nyman (HS) on formation of kidney stones.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sodium oxalate (Ox-70mg/kg intraperitoneally) was used to induce kidney stones on Wistar albino rats. At the same time, two different doses of the plant extracts (HG: 62.5 and 125mg/kg; HS: 78 and 156mg/kg) were dissolved in the drinking water and administered to animals for 5 days. Potassium citrate was used as positive control in the experiments. During the experiment, water intake, urine volume and body weights of the animals were recorded. At the end of the experiments, liver, kidney and body weights of the animals were determined; biochemical analysis were conducted on urine, blood and plasma samples. Histopathological changes in kidney tissues were examined and statistical analysis were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HS extract showed the highest preventive effect at 156mg/kg dose (stone formation score: 1.16), whereas a number of kidney stones were maximum in sodium oxalate group (stone formation score: 2.66). Helichrysum extracts decreased urine oxalate and uric acid levels and increased citrate levels significantly. In addition, Helichrysum extracts regulated the negative changes in biochemical and hematological parameters occurred after Ox injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that Helichrysum extracts could reduce the formation and growth of kidney stones in Ox-induced urolithiasis and can be beneficial for patients with recurrent stones. In addition, this is the first study on the preventive effect of immortal flowers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: nsendogdu@gazi.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Nilüfer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Orhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, 06560 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, 06560 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: İlker
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Şen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, 06560 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: İpek
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Işık Gönül
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aslan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002951:Citrates / Q000652:urine; D035264:Flowers; D036562:Helichrysum; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D053040:Nephrolithiasis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000652:urine; D010070:Oxalates / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D010070:Oxalates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014527:Uric Acid
keywords: Asteraceae; Calcium oxalate crystallization; Helichrysum; Immortal flowers; Kidney stone; Urolithiasis