Assessment of renoprotective effect of Hygrophila auriculata (K. Schum) Heine against mercury-induced nephrotoxicity defects

M. P. Sridhar; Ramesh Ramesh Venkatachalam; Arun Kumar Parthasarathy; K. Punnagai

doi:10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20263778

Authors

M. P. Sridhar Department of Pharmacology, Tagore Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Ramesh Ramesh Venkatachalam Department of Anatomy, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, India
Arun Kumar Parthasarathy Department of Microbiology, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4528-9018
K. Punnagai Department of Pharmacology, Tagore Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20263778

Keywords:

Mercuric chloride, Brush-border membrane, Nephrotoxicity, Urinary enzymes

Abstract

Background: The therapeutic potential of Hygrophila auriculata (K. Schum) Heine (Syn. Astercantha longifolia) against mercury-induced nephrotoxicity in rats was investigated, specifically assessing its capacity to restore altered mercury-sensitive indices in urine and isolated renal brush-border membrane preparations.

Methods: Toxicity was induced in male Wistar albino rats by administering mercuric chloride (HgCl2) at 1 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally three times a week for two weeks. Following mercury induction, rats were treated with an ethanolic extract of the whole plant of Hygrophila auriculata at 100 mg/kg body weight orally for 10 days to evaluate its protective/reparative effects on kidney weight changes, urinary constituents (urea, uric acid, creatinine, and protein), urinary enzyme activities (alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, γ-glutamyl transferase, and β-D-glucuronidase), and isolated brush-border membrane enzymes.

Results: Mercuric chloride administration caused significant alterations in kidney weights, elevated levels of urinary constituents, and increased activities of urinary enzymes due to cellular damage. Conversely, mercury administration resulted in a decline in the activities of isolated brush-border enzymes. Post-treatment with the ethanolic extract of Hygrophila auriculata significantly ameliorated these toxic effects and successfully improved the altered parameters toward normal levels.

Conclusion: The post-treatment administration of Hygrophila auriculata demonstrates significant efficacy in protecting and maintaining renal integrity and functional parameters against mercury-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

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