RESUMEN
ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of Otostegia persica (O. persica) extract on renal damage induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in diabetic rats. METHODS: Forty-eight rats were subjected to right nephrectomy; then, they were allocated into six groups: Sham; Diabetic sham; I/R; Diabetic I/R; I/R+O. persica; Diabetic I/R+O. persica. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (200 mg/kg, i.p.). O. persica (300 mg/kg/day, p.o) was administered for 2 weeks. On the 15th day, ischemia was induced in left kidney for 60 min, followed by reperfusion for 24h. Renal functional and biochemical markers were estimated. RESULTS: I/R in both normal and diabetic rats, induced a significant elevation in serum levels of urea and creatinine (p<0.05). Renal I/R induced a significant increase of malondialdehyde, myeloperoxidase and nitric oxide concentrations associated with significant reduction in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in comparison with the sham group (p<0.05). Diabetic rats that underwent renal I/R exhibited a significant increase in all the studied parameters with a reduction in the antioxidant enzymes as compared to nondiabetic rats (p<0.05). These deleterious effects associated with renal I/R were improved by the treatment with O. persica (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Otostegia persica pretreatment protected the renal injury from ischemia-reperfusion in diabetic rats.