Protective effect of the aqueous leaf and seed extract of Phyllanthus amarus on gentamicin and acetaminophen-induced nephrotoxic rats

Aim of the study: In African traditional medicine, different parts of Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn. (family: Euphorbiaceae) are highly valued for the treatment of array of human diseases including hepatic and urolithic and/or other renal diseases. In the present study, single oral 100-400 mg/kg/day of the leaf and seed aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus (PA) were studied for their protective effects in acetaminophen- and gentamicin-incluced nephrotoxic Wistar rats for 14 days. Materials and methods: In each model of nephrotoxicities, thirty adult male Wistar rats were evenly divided into 5 groups. Groups I and II served as untreated and model controls, respectively while groups III-V were the treatment groups which were pretreated with 100-400 mg/kg/day of PA 1 hr before each dose of the nephrotoxicants for 14 days. On the 15th day, blood samples for serum urea and creatinine while the rat kidneys for histology were obtained under inhaled diethyl ether anesthesia. Results: In the acetaminophen nephrotoxic rats, 100-400 mg/kg/day significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001) attenuated elevations in the serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels in dose related fashion, as well as, attenuation of acetaminophen-induced tubulonephrosis. Similar effects were also recorded in the gentamicin model of acute renal injury. Results suggest that the nephroprotective effect of PA could be due to the inherent antioxidant and free-radical-scavanging principle(s) contained in the extract. Conclusions: In the near future, PA could constitute a lead to discovery of a novel drug for the treatment of drug-induced nephrotoxicity. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.