The role of an herbal agent in treatment for Escherichia coli induced bacterial cyctitis in rats.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the herbal agent in the prevention and treatment of bacterial cystitis in a rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of twenty-eight male Sprague- Dawley rats were divided into four groups. Group-1 constituted the control group (operated and normal saline injected into the bladder, received only drinking water for 7 days); Group-2 constituted the no-treatment group (operated, E.coli J96 strain injected into the bladder, received only drinking water for 7 days); Group-3 constituted the short-term treatment (operated, E.coli J96 strain injected into the bladder, received the herbal agent added into drinking water for 7 days) and Group-4 constituted the long-term treatment (operated, E. coli J96 strain injected into the bladder, received herbal agent added into drinking water for 14 days). At the end of the pre-defined treatment periods of duration, the rats were sacrificed, urine samples collected from the bladder for culture and bladders were harvested for histopathological evaluation. Urine culture results and histopathological findings were comparatively evaluated between the groups. RESULTS: Urine cultures were positive for implanted E. coli strains in 0%, 85.7%, 42.8% and 0% of rats in Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4, respectively (p = 0.001). Although histopathological evaluation revealed increased vascular dilation in the bladder specimens obtained from Group 2 and Group 3 (p = 0.028) no significant difference was noticed in level of inflammation (p = 0.610), edema (p = 0.754) and thickness of uroepithelium (p = 0.138). CONCLUSION: While long term (14 days) treatment with an herbal agent added into the drinking water resulted in complete clearance of urine from E. coli; shorter application of the agent revealed partial clearance. Further clinical studies are needed to support our results.

Limitation of apoptotic changes and crystal deposition by Tutukon following hyperoxaluria-induced tubular cell injury in rat model.

This study aimed at evaluating the protective effects of a herbal medication (Tutukon) on the hyperoxaluria induced apoptotic changes and crystal deposition in renal tubular epithelium in rat model. 60 male wistar rats were divided into three different groups (each group n: 20). In Group I severe hyperoxaluria was induced by ethylene glycol (EG) (0.75%) administration for 28 days. In Group II, in addition to hyperoxaluria induction, animals were treated with Tutukon for 28 days. Group III animals constituted the controls without any specific medication and/or intervention. While the presence and degree of crystal deposition in the tubular lumen were examined histopathologically under light microscopy, tubular apoptotic changes were evaluated using immunohistochemical staining for cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 (Caspase-3) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) positivity on days 14 and 28, respectively. Evaluation of apoptotic changes by Caspase-3 positivity showed that while the majority of animals undergoing EG only showed evident apoptotic changes (n: 9), Tutukon application demonstrated a significant limitation with limited or no apoptosis (n: 7) in these animals. Similar data were noted for TNF alpha expression; while apoptotic changes were evident in 8 (80%) in Group I animals, limited changes were noted in Tutukon Group (n: 2). Regarding crystal deposition despite evident changes in Group I (9 animals), like apoptotic alterations, it was again significantly limited in animals receiving Tutukon (4 animals). Renal tubular crystal deposition and apoptotic changes induced by hyperoxaluria play a role in the pathogenesis of urolithiasis and the limitation of these changes might be instituted by Tutukon as a result of its antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects.