Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Indian J Pharmacol. 2012 May;44(3):304-7. doi: 10.4103/0253-7613.96298.
Alcea rosea L. is used in Asian folk medicine as a remedy for a wide range of ailments. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Alcea rosea roots on ethylene glycol-induced kidney calculi in rats.
Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, ethylene glycol (EG), curative and preventive groups. Control group received tap drinking water for 28 days. Ethylene glycol (EG), curative and preventive groups received 1% ethylene glycol for induction of calcium oxalate (CaOx) calculus formation; preventive and curative subjects also received the hydroalcoholic extract of Alcea rosea roots in drinking water at dose of 170 mg/kg, since day 0 or day 14, respectively. Urinary oxalate concentration was measured by spectrophotometer on days 0, 14 and 28. On day 28, the kidneys were removed and examined histopathologically under light microscopy for counting the calcium oxalate deposits in 50 microscopic fields.
In both preventive and curative protocols, treatment of rats with hydroalcoholic extract of Alcea rosea roots significantly reduced the number of kidney calcium oxalate deposits compared to ethylene glycol group. Administration of Alcea rosea extract also reduced the elevated urinary oxalate due to ethylene glycol.
Alcea rosea showed a beneficial effect in preventing and eliminating calcium oxalate deposition in the rat kidney. This effect is possibly due to diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects or presence of mucilaginous polysaccharides in the plant. It may also be related to lowering of urinary concentration of stone-forming constituents.
矢车菊花被亚洲民间医学用于治疗多种疾病。本研究旨在探讨矢车菊根水醇提取物对乙二醇诱导的大鼠肾结石的影响。
雄性 Wistar 大鼠随机分为对照组、乙二醇（EG）组、治疗组和预防组。对照组给予自来水饮用 28 天。EG 组、治疗组和预防组给予 1%乙二醇诱导形成草酸钙（CaOx）结石；预防组和治疗组还分别从第 0 天或第 14 天开始在饮用水中给予矢车菊根水醇提取物，剂量为 170mg/kg。在第 0 天、第 14 天和第 28 天通过分光光度计测量尿草酸盐浓度。在第 28 天，取出肾脏，在光镜下检查组织病理学，以在 50 个显微镜视野中计数草酸钙沉积物的数量。
在预防和治疗方案中，与 EG 组相比，用矢车菊根水醇提取物治疗大鼠可显著减少肾脏草酸钙沉积物的数量。矢车菊提取物的给药还降低了由于乙二醇而升高的尿草酸盐。
矢车菊对预防和消除大鼠肾脏草酸钙沉积具有有益作用。这种作用可能是由于植物的利尿和抗炎作用或存在粘性多糖。它也可能与降低结石形成成分的尿浓度有关。
