Effect of Otostegia persica extraction on renal injury induced by hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion: a rat model.

INTRODUCTION

It is known that ischemia-reperfusion causes remote organ injury as well as local injury. In traditional systems of medicine, many plants have been documented to be useful for the treatment of various disorders including oxidative esters. This study was designed to investigate whether Otostegia persica extraction pretreatment has a protective effect against renal injury induced by hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion.

METHODS

Forty male Wistar rats were allocated into five groups as follows: Control, Sham, Otostegia persica, ischemia-reperfusion and ischemia-reperfusion+Otostegia persica groups. Rats in Otostegia persica and ischemia-reperfusion+Otostegia persica groups received Otostegia persica extraction (300 mg/kg) orally 2 days prior to operation. Hindlimb ischemia was induced by clamping the femoral artery for 2 h. After 24 h of reperfusion, blood and urine samples were obtained for kidney function tests and the kidneys were removed for histological analysis and oxidative stress measurement.

RESULTS

The decrease in glomerular filtration rate induced by reperfusion was significantly improved by Otostegia persica extraction administration (P<0.05), which resulted in the decrease in serum urea and creatinine concentrations. Urinary creatinine significantly decreased in ischemia-reperfusion group compared to the other groups (P<0.05). Urinary excretion rate, water intake and the ratio of kidney/body weight significantly increased in animals with reperfusion injury as compared with other groups (P<0.05). On histological examination, rats pretreated with Otostegia persica extraction had nearly normal morphology. Skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion produced a significant increase in renal tissue malondialdehyde level, while pretreatment with Otostegia persica extraction was associated with a significantly lower malondialdehyde level (P<0.05). Renal tissue catalase and superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione level were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased by hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion. The increases in these parameters were decreased by pretreatment with Otostegia persica extraction.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study showed that Otostegia persica extraction pretreatment significantly protected the renal injury from skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion.