The effect of Thymus vulgaris L. on renal and liver toxicity in wistar rats exposed to aluminum

Abstract

The main sources of human exposure to aluminum are found in the extensive presence of the metal in the environment and its growing industrial applications. The present study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of the Thymus vulgaris L. extract in alleviating aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ) toxicity on biochemical and antioxidant parameters. The experiment's rats were divided into five groups: a control group; an intoxicated group (300 mg AlCl 3 /kg bw); and three other groups which were given AlCl 3 (300mg/kg/bw) then T. vulgaris. L extract (T.v), Malic Acid (MA) and Vitamin E (Vit E) at a concentration of 150mg/kg/bw. Each group was given its respective dosage, daily for 90 days. The results showed a significant decrease in the body/liver/kidney weights, the plasma total protein (T. Protein) and albumin (Alb) levels (p≤0.05) in the intoxicated rats group. However, a significant increase in the plasma uric acid (Uac), alkaline (AlP) and acid phosphatase (AcP) levels was noted (p≤0.05) in the same group. The amount of aluminum, TBARS and nitrate/nitrite (NO) in the liver and kidney tissues of the rats treated with AlCl 3 was also found to have increased (p≤0.05), while the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione transferase (GSH-St) have decreased significantly (p≤0.05). These altered parameters were restored in the rats treated with the T. vulgaris L. extract. Therefore, due to these beneficial effects, T. vulgaris L. could potentially be used to antagonize AlCl 3 toxicity.

Therapeutic potential of caffeic acid and coumarin in modifying aluminum-induced hepatic injury in Wistar rats

“…These findings demonstrate the role of free radicals in the oxidative damage induced by Al toxicity. Our observations are consistent with earlier research that has shown that Al uptake stimulates oxidative stress and inhibits antioxidant enzyme activity in hepatic tissues (Mokrane et al, 2020;Othman et al, 2020;El-Demerdash et al, 2022). The inhibition of antioxidant enzyme activity may arise due to the reduced biosynthesis of these enzymes underpinning higher intracellular levels of Al and/or the overproduction of free radicals (Nampoothiri et al, 2015).…”

“…Thus, the high nitrite levels suggest elevated NO levels in the liver. Our findings show a high nitrite level in Al-exposed animals compared to that in the control group, confirming other research results (Mokrane et al, 2020;Othman et al, 2020). NO reacts readily with superoxide radicals to form peroxynitrite, capable of causing cellular damage by instigating lipid peroxidation and protein adduct formation that contribute to cell damage (Kumar et al, 2013).…”

“…Moreover, we suggest that the toxic effects associated with aluminum exposure may be due to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to lesions via oxidation of cellular macromolecules such as lipids and proteins and ultimately triggering DNA damage (Al Olayan et al, 2020;Mokrane et al, 2020). In rats exposed to Al, we observed disturbances in their antioxidant status, which manifested as a significant increase in TBARS and carbonyl levels.…”

Nephroprotective Effects of Caffeine, Vanillin, and Their Combination against Experimental AlCl3-Induced Renal Toxicity in Adult Male Wistar Rats

“…The observed increase in serum activities of AST and ALT, as seen in Figures 1(a) and 1(b) , can be attributed to the cytotoxic effect of Al on the kidney membrane permeability [ 37 ], which could lead to the leakage of these enzymes from the cytosol into bloodstream, along with disruptions or dysfunction in their activation [ 38 ]. Conversely, a slight decrease in total protein levels observed in AlCl 3 -induced rats may be due to an increase in intracellular Al concentration, which has been shown to reduce protein synthesis [ 39 ], aligning with the findings of Nawel et al [ 40 ]. However, the administration of caffeine, vanillin, and their combination resulted in decreased activities of ALT and AST, as well as an increase in plasma protein concentration ( Figure 1 ).…”

Histological changes in liver and kidney of male mice by age after exposure to aluminum chloride

“…Such accumulation may be due to the very high affinity of Al for transferrin, and this may explain why Al can interfere with iron metabolism. The toxic effect of Al on the liver and kidneys tissue is related to lipid peroxidation, which can induce significant harmful changes in some biochemical characteristics and redox status (Nawel et al, 2020). Therefore, the accumulation of Al in the kidney promoted degeneration in renal tubular cells (Mohammed et al, 2017).…”