Protective activity of purpurin against d‐galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide‐induced hepatorenal injury by upregulation of heme oxygenase‐1 in the RBC degradation cycle

Abstract

Acute liver failure, associated with oxidative stress and sustained inflammation is the major clinical manifestation of liver diseases with a high mortality rate due to limited therapeutic options. Purpurin is a bioactive compound of Rubia cordifolia that has been used in textile staining, as a food additive, and as a treatment of multiple chronic and metabolic diseases associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. The present work aimed to investigate the protective efficacy of purpurin against hepatorenal damage. Thirty‐six female albino rats were equally assigned into six groups. Purpurin was administered orally once a day for 6 days at doses of 05, 10, and 20 mg/kg, respectively. Intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (50 μg/kg) was administered to the animals on 6th day evening, 1 h after d‐galactosamine (300 mg/kg) administration to induce hepatorenal injury. The results revealed that purpurin alleviated alterations in serological and hematological parameters as well as restored histoarchitectural and cellular integrity of the liver and kidney. Purpurin restored superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione content in hepatorenal tissues. Accompanied by the diminution of increased bilirubin and biliverdin, purpurin also diminished total cholesterol, triglyceride, and lipid peroxidation in hepatorenal tissues. Purpurin markedly attenuated the elevation of CYP2E1, restored glutathione‐S‐transferase, and prevented DNA damage in hepatorenal tissues. Purpurin reduced iron overload by reducing heme depletion and recycling of ferritin and hemosiderin. It also reinforced biliverdin reductase, heme oxygenase‐1 to employ hepatorenal protection by regulating antioxidant enzymes and other pathways that produced NADPH. Thus, it may be concluded that purpurin has protective potential against acute hepatorenal injury.

Purpurin, a Natural Anthroquinone Ameliorates Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Nephropathy via Attenuating Hyperglycemia, Dyslipidemia, and Inflammation in Rats

“…Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes play a crucial role in renal failure, whereas it is more prevalent in type 2 diabetes patients. 20, 31 Antiglycemic and antihypertensive drugs, such as ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin II receptor blockers, were not so potent and still, and the incidence of diabetic nephropathy remains increasing. Most of the discovered drugs failed during the clinical Phase III trials, 32, 33 hence it is necessary to discover a potent drug to ameliorate diabetic nephropathy.…”

“…A recent study revealed that purpurin effectively ameliorated hepatotoxicity, 29 suppressed atopic dermatitis, 30 protected hepatorenal injury, 31 and demonstrated neuroprotective effects 32 in various study models.…”