ABSTRACT
Background: Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end-stage renal failure worldwide. Purpose: The methanol leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina (MLVA) was thus investigated for its nephroprotective effects in diabetes.Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by a single intraperitoneal (I.P) injection of a freshly prepared solution of Alloxan monohydrate (100 mg/kg). Forty-eight hours after alloxan administration, rats with fasting blood glucose levels of 200 mg/dl and above were used for the study. Animals were grouped into five (A-E) of nine animals each. Group A was non-diabetic non treated control; Group B animals were the diabetic untreated control rats while groups C, D and E animals were diabetic and treated with glibenclamide, MLVA 200 mg/kg and MVLA 400 mg/kg respectively. Biochemical changes were evaluated by measuring the serum markers of kidney damage (creatinine and blood urea nitrogen). Markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant activities were measured in renal tissues. Histopathological and immunohistochemical changes were also evaluated.Results: Four-week administration of MLVA produced significant (p<0.05) decrease in serum creatinine, urea, and oxidative markers but it caused a significant increase in enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidant as well as downregulation of Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-?B) and upregulation of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2).Conclusion: MLVA ameliorates diabetic nephropathy through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the antidiabetic properties of Mucuna pruriens(M. pruriens).@*METHODS@#Diabetes was induced in Wistar rats by single intravenous injection of 120 mg/kg of alloxan monohydrate and different doses of the extract were administered to diabetic rats. The blood glucose level was determined using a glucometer and results were compared with normal and untreated diabetic rats. The acute toxicity was also determined in albino mice.@*RESULTS@#Results showed that the administration of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 100 mg/kg of the crude ethanolic extract of M. pruriens seeds to alloxan-induced diabetic rats (plasma glucose > 450 mg/dL) resulted in 18.6%, 24.9%, 30.8%, 41.4%, 49.7%, 53.1% and 55.4% reduction, respectively in blood glucose level of the diabetic rats after 8h of treatment while the administration of glibenclamide (5 mg/kg/day) resulted in 59.7% reduction. Chronic administration of the extract resulted in a significant dose dependent reduction in the blood glucose level (P<0.001). It also showed that the antidiabetic activity of M. pruriens seeds resides in the methanolic and ethanolic fractions of the extract. Acute toxicity studies indicated that the extract was relatively safe at low doses, although some adverse reactions were observed at higher doses (8-32 mg/kg body weight), no death was recorded. Furthermore, oral administration of M. pruriens seed extract also significantly reduced the weight loss associated with diabetes.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The study clearly supports the traditional use of M. pruriens for the treatment of diabetes and indicates that the plant could be a good source of potent antidiabetic drug.