ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the protective effects of the aqueous leaf extract of Aloe barbadensis (AEAB) on gentamicin and Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxic Wistar rats. Methods: In each model of nephrotoxicity, 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 100-200 mg/kg bodyweight per day of AEAB 1 h before each dose of the nephrotoxicants. On the 8th day(in case of gentamicin) and on 6th day(in case of Cisplatin), blood samples for serum urea, total protein and creatinine as well as some ions like sodium, potassium, chloride and uric acid while the rat kidneys for histology were obtained under inhaled diethyl ether anesthesia. Results: In the gentamicin nephrotoxic rats, 100-200 mg/kg bodyweight per day significantly attenuated elevations in the serum creatinine, total protein and blood urea nitrogen levels in dose related fashion and no treatment related effect on uric acid and ions, and attenuated the gentamicin-induced tubulonephrosis. Similar effects were also recorded in the Cisplatin model of acute renal injury. Conclusions:The nephroprotective effect of AEAB could be due to the inherent antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging principle(s) contained in the extract.In the near future, AEAB could constitute a lead to discovery of a novel drug for the treatment of drug-induced nephrotoxicity.