ABSTRACT
Background: High salt intake induces renal-stress. The present study was carried out to examine the therapeutic effects of proximol[Halfa bar extract], lasilactonedrug[Spironolactone+Furosemide] and their combination on renal-stressed rats
Material and Methods: Thirty five male rats were used and divided into five groups. The first group served as negative control and received fresh tap water orally for four weeks. The animals in the other four groups drank hypertonic saline solution [2% NaCl] as a sole source of drinking water for four weeks to induce the animal model of renal stress. Then the renal-stressed rats were further divided into: positive control, renal-stressed rats treated daily with proximol [7.8 mg/kg b.wt], renal-stressed rats treated daily with lasilactone [3.9 mg/kg b.wt], and renal- stressed rats treated daily with a combination of proximol and lasilactone for four weeks. The levels of aldosterone, sodium, potassium, calcium, urea, uric acid and creatinine were measured in the sera of rats. Nitric oxide [NO], reduced glutathione [GSH] and lipid peroxidation [MDA] levels were also measured in the homogenate of renal tissue
Results: In the renal-stressed group, there was a significant increase in levels of aldosterone, sodium, calcium, urea, uric acid, NO and MDA and a significant decrease in potassium and GSH as compared to control group. Although the treatment of renal stressed rats with proximol, lasilactone and their combination reduced the increased level of aldosterone induced in renal stressed rats, aldosterone level was still higher than the control value. In addition, the treatment with proximol, lasilactone and their combination restored the significant increase in sodium, NO and lipid peroxidation to non significant changes as compared to control group. Also the decreased levels of GSH induced in renal-stressed rats returned to non significant changes. However, potassium decreased significantly below the control and the model groups with the combined treatment. Furthermore, treatment with proximol, lasilactone and their combination reduced the elevated levels of uric acid and urea induced by hypertonic saline solution to control- like values in the case of uric acid and to a significant decrease in the case of urea
Conclusion: In conclusion, proximol, lasilactone and their combination have an effective role in ameliorating the changes in the levels of aldosterone, serum electrolytes, oxidative stress and consequently the disturbance in kidney functions in renal-stressed rats induced by hypertonic saline solution