The protective effect of Rubia cordifolia against lead nitrate-induced immune response impairment and kidney oxidative damage

Abstract

Objectives:To evaluate the in vivo antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of the roots of Rubia cordifolia (RC) and to study its influence on lead nitrate-induced impairment of immune responses.Materials and Methods:Seventy-two adult male Swiss albino mice were used for biochemical and immunological studies and were divided into six groups of six mice each. Mice were treated with lead nitrate (40 mg/kg, orally) either alone and or in combination with RC (50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) daily for 40 days. For immunological studies, all mice were challenged twice with sheep RBC with on days 14 and 20 of the experiment. The immune function was assessed using macrophage yield, viability of macrophage, phagocytic index, serum immunoglobulin level, and plaque forming cell count (PFC), whereas the oxidative stress was assessed by estimating lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH) content, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT).Results:Lead nitrate administration induced a significant (P<0.001) increase in LPO, whereas a significant (P<0.001) depletion of CAT and GSH in renal tissues. In addition, it also showed a significant (P<0.001) reduction in macrophage yield, viability of macrophage, phagocyte index, serum immunoglobulin level, and PFC in kidney. However, combination treatment with RC observed a significant (P<0.001) reversal of lead nitrate-induced toxicity on oxidative stress and immunological parameters.Conclusion:The lead nitrate-induced immunosuppression is due to oxidative stress and RC can prevent the same by virtue of its in vivo antioxidant property.

Dietary Plants for the Prevention and Management of Kidney Stones: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence and Molecular Mechanisms

“…Phytochemical screening of R. cordifolia has revealed the presence of various bioactive phytochemicals, including glycosides, triterpenoids, anthraquinones, saponins, quinones, and tannins, which make it advantageous for the treatment of several disorders, such as jaundice, diabetic foot ulcer, and cardiovascular ailments [ 47 , 48 ]. It was found to be effective in the treatment of different kidney diseases and possessed preventive effects on urinary stones [ 26 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. The hydro-alcoholic extract of R. cordifolia roots successfully inhibited the excretion of calcium in ethylene glycol-induced renal stone formation in rats, and, more importantly, prevented hyperoxaluria and hypocitraturia by decreasing the formation of urinary oxalate and regulating the re-adsorption of tubular citrate (increasing the level of urinary citrate), respectively.…”

Rubiarbonone C inhibits platelet‐derived growth factor‐induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells through the focal adhesion kinase, MAPK and STAT3 Tyr705 signalling pathways

“…R. philippinensis is a perennial herb and a well-known traditional Korean medicine, listed in the Korean Pharmacopoeia (Chen et al, 1999). R. philippinensis has been reported to have beneficial anticancer activity (Lajko et al, 2015) and a protective effect against kidney oxidative damage (Lodi et al, 2011). Phytochemical studies have shown the major constituents of this plant, which include Rubiaceae-type bicyclic hexapeptides (Lee et al, 2008), anthraquinones (Fan et al, 2011) and triterpenoids (Liou and Wu, 2002).…”

A Review of the Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology of Rubiae Radix et Rhizoma

“…RRR ethanol extract (RRREE) was found to have protective effect against immunosuppression of Swiss albino mice induced by lead nitrate. This immunomodulation was considered associated to the increasing of macrophagocyte number and phagocyticindex, immunoglobulin levels and plaque-forming cell number [13]. In the serum of most peanut-allergy patients, there were increased levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE).…”

“…During the past decades, more than one hundred chemical compounds such as anthraquinones, naphthoquinones, cyclic hexapeptides, terpenoids, polysaccharides and other compounds have been found in RRR, isolated and identified [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. The range of its pharmacological activity also has been widened, covering antioxidation, neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, antitumor, and immunomodulation effects, etc [3,11,12,13,14,15,16,17].…”