title: Biochemical and Pathological Study of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Achillea millefolium L. on Ethylene Glycol-Induced Nephrolithiasis in Laboratory Rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nephrolithiasis is of the most prevalent urinary tract disease. It seems worthwhile to replace the conventional treatments with more beneficial and safer agents, particularly herbal medicines which are receiving an increasing interest nowadays.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we investigated the protective and curative effects of Achillea millefolium L. on ethylene glycol (EG)-induced nephrolithiasis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The extract of A. millefolium was prepared by soxhlet method. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (N = 8) as follows. The negative control (group A) received tap drinking water. Rats in sham (positive control group B), curative (group C and D), and preventive (group E) groups all received 1% EG in drinking water according to the experimental protocol for 30 days. In the curative groups, dosages of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight (BW) of A. millefolium extract were administered orally from day 15 to the end of the experiment, group C and D, respectively. Group E received 200 mg/kg A. millefolium extract from the 1(st) day throughout the experiment. Urinary oxalate and citrate concentrations were measured by spectrophotometer on the first and 30(th) days. On day 31, the kidneys were removed and examined histopathologically for counting the calcium oxalate (CaOx) deposits in 50 microscopic fields.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the curative and preventive groups, administration of A. millefolium extract showed significant reduction in urinary oxalate concentration (P < 0.05). Also, urinary citrate concentration was significantly increased in group C, D, and E. The CaOx deposits significantly decreased in group C to E compared with the group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our results, A. millefolium extract had preventive and curative effects on EG-induced renal calculi.
authors.affiliation: Kashan Anatomical Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan Hassani
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Bafrani
authors.affiliation: Students' Research Committee, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Yekta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Parsa
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yadollah-Damavandi
authors.affiliation: Students' Research Committee, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jangholi
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Soheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashkani-Esfahani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharehbeglou
keywords: Achillea millefolium; Calcium oxalate; ethylene glycol; nephrolithiasis