Cucumis callosus (Rottl.) Cogn. fruit extract ameliorates calcium oxalate urolithiasis in ethylene glycol induced hyperoxaluric Rat model.

Cucumis callosus dry fruits are traditionally used as folk remedy to treat conditions like urethral irritations, urine stoppage or dribbling and other urinary ailments of man in north-west India. But no study is reported to validate this ethnic practice of using Cucumis fruit in urolithiasis. To evaluate anti-urolithiatic potential of Cucumis, hyperoxaluria was induced in rats by supplying 0.75% ethylene glycol (EG) + 1% ammonium chloride (AC) in drinking water for 14 days. Anti-urolithiatic activity of Cucumis callosus hydro-ethanolic extract (CCHEE) was assessed by measuring blood and urine biochemical parameters, oxidative stress indices, histopathology and osteopontin (OPN) expression. Administration of EG-AC to rats caused hyperoxaluria, crystalluria, azotaemia, oxidant/antioxidant imbalance (increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO), and decrease in glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT)), up-regulation of OPN and calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystal deposition in kidney. Treatment of afflicted rats with Cucumis fruits extract restored renal function to a great extent (CCHEE group), testified by improvement of stated parameters. Findings demonstrate curative efficacy of Cucumis fruit extract in EG induced urolithiasis of rats. The restoration of renal function was possibly by regulating renal stone formation via reducing urinary oxalate excretion, correcting oxidant/antioxidant imbalances, and reduced expression of OPN. Hence, results of this study validate the ethnic practice of using Cucumis fruit and conclude that fruit extracts have beneficial effects on CaOx urolithiasis and renal function.

Antiurolithiatic and antioxidant efficacy of Musa paradisiaca pseudostem on ethylene glycol-induced nephrolithiasis in rat.

OBJECTIVE: Musa paradisiaca has been used in the treatment of urolithiasis by the rural people in South India. Therefore, we plan to evaluate its efficacy and possible mechanism of antiurolithiatic effect to rationalize its medicinal use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urolithiasis was induced in hyperoxaluric rat model by giving 0.75% ethylene glycol (EG) for 28 days along with 1% ammonium chloride (AC) for the first 14 days. Antiurolithiatic effect of aqueous-ethanol extract of M. paradisiaca pseudostem (MUSA) was evaluated based on urine and serum biochemistry, microscopy of urine, oxidative/nitrosative indices, kidney calcium content, and histopathology. RESULTS: Administration of EG and AC resulted in increased crystalluria and oxaluria, hypercalciuria, polyuria, crystal deposition in urine, raised serum urea, and creatinine as well as nitric oxide concentration and erythrocytic lipid peroxidation in lithiatic group. However, MUSA treatment significantly restored the impairment in above kidney function test as that of standard treatment, cystone in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate the efficacy of MUSA in EG-induced urolithiasis, which might be mediated through inhibiting various pathways involved in renal calcium oxalate formation, antioxidant effect, and potential to inhibit biochemical markers of renal impairment.

Alteration in Oxidative/nitrosative imbalance, histochemical expression of osteopontin and antiurolithiatic efficacy of Xanthium strumarium (L.) in ethylene glycol induced urolithiasis.

Xanthium strumarium has traditionally been used in the treatment of urolitiasis especially by the rural people in India, but its antiurolithiatic efficacy was not explored scientifically till now. Therefore, the present study was designed to validate the ethnic practice scientifically, and explore the possible antiurolithiatic effect to rationalize its medicinal use. Urolitiasis was induced in hyperoxaluric rat model by giving 0.75% ethylene glycol (EG) for 28days along with 1% ammonium chloride (AC) for first 14days. Antiurolithiatic effect of aqueous-ethanol extract of Xanthium strumarium bur (xanthium) was evaluated based on urine and serum biochemistry, oxidative/nitrosative stress indices, histopathology, kidney calcium and calcium oxalate content and immunohistochemical expression of matrix glycoprotein, osteopontin (OPN). Administration of EG and AC resulted in hyperoxaluria, crystalluria, hypocalciuria, polyurea, raised serum urea, creatinine, erythrocytic lipid peroxidise and nitric oxide, kidney calcium content as well as crystal deposition in kidney section in lithiatic group rats. However, xanthium treatment significantly restored the impairment in above kidney function test as that of standard treatment, cystone. The up-regulation of OPN was also significantly decreased after xanthium treatment. The present findings demonstrate the curative efficacy of xanthium in ethylene glycol induced urolithiasis, possibly mediated through inhibition of various pathways involved in renal calcium oxalate formation, antioxidant property and down regulation of matrix glycoprotein, OPN. Therefore, future studies may be established to evaluate its efficacy and safety for clinical use.

Toxic effect of sodium fluoride on hydroxyproline level and expression of collagen-1 gene in rat bone and its amelioration by Tamrindus indica L. fruit pulp extract.

Excessive fluoride intoxication plays an important role in the development of dental, skeletal and non-skeletal fluorosis. The aim of this study was to ascertain the toxic effect of excessive fluoride ingestion on the level of hydroxyproline and expression of type 1 collagen gene in rat bone and its amelioration by supplementation with Tamarindus indica fruit pulp extract. Forty albino rats were randomly assigned to four groups. The first group served as control and received only tap water. The second group received sodium fluoride (200 ppm) through drinking water. The third group received T. indica fruit pulp extract (200 mg/kg body weight) alone and the fourth group received the T. indica fruit pulp extract (200 mg/kg body weight) along with fluorinated drinking water (200 ppm) daily by gavage for a period of 90 days. The level of hydroxyproline and expression of type 1 collagen gene using quantitative real time PCR in the tibia bone decreased significantly with continuous exposure to sodium fluoride. Co-administration of T. indica fruit pulp extract during exposure to fluoride through drinking water restored the level of calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase in serum and the concentration of hydroxyproline in urine. It increased the level of hydroxyproline and expression of type 1 collagen gene in the tibia as compared to untreated fluoride-exposed rats. It is concluded that T. indica fruit pulp extract has an ameliorative potential to protect the bone from fluoride induced collagen damage.

Medicinal herbs: a potential source of toxic metal exposure for man and animals in India.

To explore the possibility of translocation of heavy metals into humans and animals, the authors studied 28 commonly used medicinal plants and estimated their heavy metal content. The plant materials were collected from the same sources used by traditional healers and commercial drug manufacturers. The plants were identified, authenticated, and processed for the analysis of toxic metals. Lead and cadmium levels were estimated in leaf, stem bark, root, or seeds, depending on the medicinal value of the plant portion. The authors used an atomic absorption spectrophotometer to determine levels of metals. The mean lead concentration in medical herbs ranged between 2.624 ppm (standard deviation = 0.426) and 32.757 (standard deviation = 0.124 ppm), and the cadmium concentration ranged between 0.056 ppm (standard deviation = 0.002) and 0.419 ppm (standard deviation = 0.006). Interestingly, the heavy metal concentrations (i.e., lead and cadmium) were higher in leaf than in stem bark or roots, and the lowest values were recorded in seeds. No published reports on the permissible level of toxic metals in commonly used medicinal plants of India have come to the authors' attention; therefore, it was difficult for the authors to determine the role of toxic metals in drug-induced health hazards. However, the presence of toxic metals in different plants led to the conclusion that prolonged consumption of such medicinal plants may be detrimental to health.