Aberrations in Renal Function Parameters Following Oral Administration of Phyllanthus amarus in Cadmium-Induced Kidney Damage in Adult Wistar Rats

摘要

Renal disease has been found to be the ninth leading cause of death. Environmental pollution is a serious cause for concern nowadays and the exposure of humans to heavy metals released into the environment by several sources produces deleterious and lethal effects. Cadmium (Cd) which is a non-essential heavy metal known to possess toxic effects on living things can be found almost anywhere and its toxicity is of concern to industrial workers and all humans due to its use in some industrial products and also in agriculture. The chief organ of toxic impact in the human is the kidney, where the proximal tubule is a major target of Cd deposition. The present study investigated if ethanolic extract of Chanca Piedra (CP) (Phyllantus amarus) has any prophylactic or ameliorative effects against nephrotoxicity induced by cadmium sulphate in adult male Wistar rats. A total of forty-two (42) adult male Wistar rats were used for this study and were divided into seven (7) groups (n=6) as follows: Group A (control), Group B (40mg/kg BW), Group C (100mg/kg BW of CP and 40mg/kg BW of Cd), Group D (200mg/kg BW of CP and 40mg/kg BW), Group E (40mg/kg BW and 100mg/kg BW of CP), Group F (40mg/kg BW and 200mg/kg BW of CP), Group G (200mg/kg BW of CP). Both cadmium and Chanca Piedra were administered orally through oro-gastric cannula. Results showed that exposure to Cd lowered the activities of the kidney by increasing the plasma creatinine and urea levels. Exposure to CP also lowered the activities of the kidney by increasing the plasma creatinine and urea levels. The findings suggest that the administration of CP extract has no prophylactic or ameliorative effects on cadmium induced kidney damage and continue use of this extracts in the treatment of some diseases may be deleterious to the kidney.