Nigella sativa extract is a potent therapeutic agent for renal inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction

Abstract

Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is a well-established experimental model to evaluate renal interstitial fibrosis. Current study is aimed to investigate the effects of Nigella sativa (NS) extract and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade against kidney damage following UUO in rats. In this study, the rats received intraperitoneal injection of losartan (15 mg/kg), captopril (30 mg/kg), and two doses of NS extract (200 and 400 mg/kg) for 18 consecutive days. At the fourth day of the experiment, laparotomy was performed, and the left ureter was ligated. Sham-operated animals received saline as vehicle, and laparotomy without ureteral ligation was done. UUO was associated with significant increase in the expression of renal angiotensin II and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, concentration of malondialdehyde and tumor necrosis factor-α, and the number of apoptotic cells when compared with sham group. Renal total thiol content and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were significantly reduced as compared with the sham group. However, treatment of obstructed rats with losartan, captopril, and NS extract significantly improved these renal impairments when compared with UUO group. Thus, NS extract, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herb, is a therapeutic agent to treat the UUO-induced kidney damage comparable with the well-known RAS inhibitors captopril and losartan.

Thymoquinone alleviates renal interstitial fibrosis and kidney dysfunction in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction

“…Interestingly, on the basis of our results, downregulation of these fibrogenic markers by TQ was more pronounced than of the effects of losartan and captopril indicating the RAS inhibitory effects of TQ. In agreement with these observations, in our recent studies, we found that NS extract and TQ downregulate ANG II expression in the kidneys with ureteral obstruction (Hosseinian et al, ; Hosseinian, Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan, et al, ). Moreover, as shown by immunohistochemical assessments, Masson's trichrome staining also showed that TQ effectively decreases the ECM accumulation in UUO rats.…”

“…The animals were randomly divided into five groups ( n = 8 in each), as follows: Sham‐operated group : Normal saline was intraperitoneally (ip) injected (0.3 ml) for 18 days, and laparotomy without ureteral ligation was performed on the fourth day of the experiment. UUO group : Normal saline was injected (0.3 ml, ip) for 18 days, and laparotomy and ligation of the left ureter were performed on the fourth day of the experiment. Los + UUO group : Losartan was injected (0.3 ml equal to 15 mg/kg, ip; Manucha, Carrizo, Ruete, Molin, & Valles, ; Radović et al, ) daily for 18 days, and laparotomy and ligation of the left ureter were performed on the fourth day of the experiment. Cap + UUO group : Captopril was injected (0.3 ml equal to 30 mg/kg; Larivière et al, ; Hosseinian, Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan, et al, ) for 18 days, and laparotomy and ligation of the left ureter were performed on the fourth day of the experiment. TQ + UUO group : TQ was injected (0.3 ml equal to 10 mg/kg; Hosseini et al, ) for 18 days, and laparotomy and ligation of the left ureter were performed on the fourth day of the experiment. …”

“…Antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory effects are some of the well‐known pharmacologic actions of TQ (Khader & Eckl, ). Recently, we showed that NS extract and TQ exert anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti‐apoptotic effects in obstructed rat kidney (Hosseinian et al, ; Hosseinian, Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan, et al, ). The present study evaluated the protective effects of TQ against kidney fibrosis in rats with UUO.…”

Efficacy of black seed (Nigella sativa L.) on kidney stone dissolution: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, clinical trial

“…Alternatively, thymoquinone has an antioxidant effect, cleans free radicals and superoxide anions, and inhibits cyclooxygenase and 5‐lipoxygenase pathways, so it inhibits the inflammatory process (Khan & Thamilselvan, ). Moreover, multiple in vivo and in vitro studies have showed that high levels of oxalate may have a toxic effect on renal epithelium through the intracellular oxidative stress process (Hosseinian, Ebrahimzadeh Bideskan, Shafei, Sadeghnia, & Soukhtanloo, ). Hence, black seed treatment may protect against the changes associated with oxidative stress and oxidative damage associated with lithogenesis (Bashir et al, ).…”

Protective Effect of Nigella Sativa Oil on Carboplatin Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats

“…Its antioxidant feature which prevents oxidative damage has been proved in several studies (11,12,14,15,16). This study aimed to histopathologically investigate the protective effects of NSO administered i.p.…”