Abstract
Urtica dioica (UD) has been used as herbal medicine since prehistoric times for the treatment of ailments including liver cirrhosis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension and colitis. The renal protective effects of UD are limited therefore, this study was intended to investigate the protective effects of UD against renal toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride in male wistar rats. The study included male albino wistar rats divided in to four groups (n = 6). Group I remained healthy control rats, group II, received CCl4 (0.8 mL/Kg body weight, subcutaneous, for 8 weeks, twice a week), group III received CCl4 (0.8 mL/Kg body weight, subcutaneous, for 8 weeks, twice a week) together with UD (2 mL/kg UD extract i.p daily for 8 weeks), group IV received UD (2 mL/kg UD extract i.p daily for 8 weeks) . Biochemical analysis included; plasma urea, creatinine and BUN. Renal antioxidant enzymes catalase, SOD & GSH & lipid peroxidation product (MDA).The sixty day treatment of rats with CCl4 resulted in renal impairments exhibited via increased plasma urea, creatinine, BUN and renal MDA levels whereas decrease antioxidant enzymes catalase, SOD & GSH levels in CCl4 treated group compared with the control group. The toxic effects of CCl4 were reverted by Urtica Dioica treatment and indicated by reduced urea, creatinine, BUN & MDA and enhanced catalase, SOD & GSH levels. The histologic findings indicated tubulointerstitial fibrosis with no mesengial proliferation in CCl4 treated rats. UD treatment along CCl4 has been shown to revert tubulointerstitial fibrosis in rats.
