Fresh Bitter Melon Fruit (Momordica charantia) Attenuated Oxidative Stress, Fibrosis and Renal Injury in Carbon Tetrachloride Treated Rats

Abstract

Chemical or drug-induced kidney damage is increasing every year and the end-stage renal disease is becoming a burden for health care system of many countries. Oxidative stress may be a crucial pathway for the development of end-stage renal disease. Thus, natural antioxidant or plant-based therapy would be a better alternative to protect renal function against chemical-induced renal damage. To determine these aspects we evaluated renoprotective effects of M. charantia in carbon tetrachloride administered rats. A 10% w/w mixture of fresh fruits of M. charantia was given with the chow food every day to CCl4 treated rats. After fourteen days, all animals were sacrificed and the kidneys were examined to observe the possible protective effects of M. charantia against CCl4 induced toxicity. The CCl4 treated rats showed increased oxidative stress parameters and decreased antioxidant enzymes activities. Supplementation of 10% w/w M. charantia fruits in CCl4 administered rats prevented the oxidative stress and restored the antioxidant enzymes activities. M. charantia fruits supplementation also prevented the rise of uric acid and creatinine concentration in plasma of CCl4 treated rats. Furthermore, histological studies showed that supplementation of 10% w/w M. charantia fruits prevented the collagen deposition, immune cell migration and iron deposition in kidney sections of CCl4 treated rats. The results of this study revealed that the fruits of M. charantia may protect oxidative stress-mediated damage in kidneys due to CCl4 administration, which is mediated probably via the restoration of anti-oxidant enzyme functions.

Anti-inflammatory Property of AMP-activated Protein Kinase

“…3 ) [ 148 ]. Glomerulonephritis has also been connected in animal models when levels of free radicals, such as malondialdehyde, advanced oxidation protein products, thiobarbiturates, 15-f 2t -isoprostane and hydrogen peroxide, are exceeded due to chemical treatment [ 149 ]. Similarly, Xanthine oxidase (XO), α-troponin, creatine kinase-MB, uric acid and hydroxyl ion have been correlated with myocarditis, vasculitis, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis [ 6 , 23 ].…”

“…In a human body, the kidneys play a major role in producing lifesaving hormones, regulating blood pressure, monitoring fluid and electrolyte balance and excreting body wastes [ 149 ]. Inflammation in the kidney is more common in females than males since males benefit from the advantages of the activity of testosterone [ 182 , 183 ].…”

“…Inflammation in the kidney may reduce the activity of tubular secretion, fluid and electrolytes re-absorption, and waste elimination, causing the subject to be dependent on regular dialysis. Besides, inflammatory cells damage and reduce cell wall integrity, enhance endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, prevent mitochondrial biogenesis and interfere with the normal DNA duplication, which pushes the subject toward serious health issues [ 23 , 149 ].…”