Effects of two weeks administration of Ocimum gratissimum leaf on feeding pattern and markers of renal function in rats treated with gentamicin

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum leaf (AOGL) on some markers of renal function in rats with gentamicin-induced nephropathy. Thirty adult male Wistar rats were used for this study. They were divided into 5 groups as follows: Group 1 (the control) (n = 5) received distilled water daily by oral route for the whole period of the study. Group 2 (the toxic control) (n = 10) received 100 mg/kg/day of gentamicin i.p. for a week. Groups 3, 4, and 5 (n = 5) were pre-treated with gentamicin as the Group 2 rats, after which they received 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/day each of AOGL p.o., respectively, for 14 days. Rats in each groups were placed inside separate metabolic cages to obtain their food consumption, water intake and urine output for 24 hours after the last administration. Markers of renal function such as creatinine, urea and total protein were determined both in the plasma and urine. Oxidative stress markers such as TBARS and GSH were assayed in the tissue homogenate. Creatinine clearance was calculated using a standard formula. Gentamicin treatment induced significant (p < 0.05) increases in urine output, plasma urea, creatinine, urinary protein, relative kidney weight and TBARS in the toxic control when compared to the control group. Significant decreases (p < 0.05) in urine creatinine and GSH were also associated with gentamicin administration. Post-treatment with AOGL caused significant increases in food consumption, body weight, water intake, urine creatinine, and GSH, and significant (p < 0.05) decreases in urine output, plasma creatinine, urea, TBARS and urine total protein in the treated groups when compared with the toxic control group. This wasfurther evident by a significant improvement or reversal of the histopathological alterations of kidney tissues in the groups treated with AOGL. The results of this study indicated that AOGL ameliorated the kidney injury caused by gentamicin in rats. Hence, the extracts have the potential of being used for the management of gentamicin-induced nephropathies.