<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language:EN-IN; mso-bidi-language:HI" lang="EN-IN">Protective effect of <i>Pongamia pinnata</i> flowers against cisplatin and gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats</span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" roman";mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;="" mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Ethanolic extract of flowers of <i>Pongamia Pinnata</i> was studied for its protective effect against cisplatin and gentamicin induced renal injury in rats. When the ex tract (300 & 600 mg kg^-1) was administered orally for 10 days following cispl atin (5 mg kg^-1 ip) on day 5, toxicity of cisplatin, as measured by loss of body weight , elevated blood urea and serum creatinine declined significantly. Similarly in gentamicin (40 mg kg^-1 s.c) induced renal injury, the extract (600 mg kg^-1) normalized the raised blood urea and serum creatinine levels. Reversal or cisplatin and gentamicin renal cell damage as induced by tubular necrosis ie, marked congestion of the glomeruli with glomerular atrophy, degeneration of tubular epithelial cells with casts in the tubular lumen and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the interstitium was confirmed on histopathological examination. In the preventive regimen, co-administration of the extract with gentamicin signiricantly prevented the renal injury both functionally and histologically. Ethanolic extract of flowers had a marked nitric oxide free radical scavenging effect, suggesting an antioxidative property. Two flavonoids, known for their antioxidant activity <i>viz</i>. kaempferol and 3, 5, 6,7, 8- pentamethoxy flavone were isolated from the extract. The results suggested that the flowers of <i>Pongamia pinnata</i> had a protective effect against cisplatin and gentamicin induced renal injury through antioxidant property.</span>