Heart and kidney oxidative stress status in septic rats treated with caraway extracts

Abstract

Context: Carum carvi L., (Umbelliferae) known as caraway, is a famous traditional herbal plant supposed to contain active components with pharmacological properties.Objective: In this study, the effects of caraway extracts on preventing sepsis induced by oxidative tissue injuries have been investigated by measuring heart and kidney oxidative stress parameters.Materials and methods: Sepsis was induced in rats (n = 6) by experimental cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model. Then, either hydroalcoholic extract or essential oils (50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) were injected intraperitonially immediately after CLP operation. Twenty-four hours after CLP, the rats were anesthetized when kidney and heart tissues were removed to analyze the tissue oxidative stress parameters, that is, glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LP).Results: Sepsis induction caused a significant increase in kidney but not heart LP, indicating that kidney was more affected by sepsis induction than heart. Kidney LP and plasma urea/creatinine ratio levels were readily reversed in rats treated with essential oils but not in those treated with hydroalcoholic extract. Unlike LP, the heart and kidney GSH levels were not affected in all treated groups.Discussion and conclusion: Our data imply that caraway oils probably have a protective role in kidney tissue against oxidative injury in advanced stages of sepsis.