The Preventive Effects of Cynara scolymus Leaf and Flower Extracts on Diethylnitrosamine/ Acetylaminoflourene Induced Nephrotoxicity in Male Wistar Rats

| The present investigation aims to estimate the preventive actions of Cynara scolymus (artichoke) extracts on diethylnitrosamine (DEN)/acetylaminofluorene (2AAF)-induced nephrotoxicity in Wistar male rats. Male rats were divided into 4 groups. The 1st group was kept as normal control, while the other 3 groups have been intraperitoneally injected with 150 mg DEN/kg body-weight (b.w.) twice for two weeks, followed by oral administration of 2AAF at 20 mg/kg b.w. four days/week for three weeks. One of the DEN/2AAF-administered groups was kept as a positive control and the two groups had been orally given artichoke leaf (ALE) and flower extracts (AFE) at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. Notably, DEN/2AAF induced kidney dysfunction was confirmed by histopathological alterations and elevations in the levels of serum urea, creatinine, and uric acid as well as renal lipid peroxidation. However, renal glutathione-peroxidase, superoxide-dismutase, reductase and glutathione-S-transferase activities and glutathione content were markedly decreased in DEN/2AAF-administered rats. Additionally, renal Bcl-2 and p53 mRNA gene-expressions were down-regulated. Treatment of DEN/2AAF-administered rats with ALE and AFE amended kidney histological perturbations, alleviate kidney function, oxidative stress biomarkers and up-regulated Bcl-2 and p53 mRNA gene-expressions. Thus, ALE and AFE successfully repressed DEN/2AAF-induced nephrotoxicity and nephocarcinogenicity through activation of the antioxidant defense system, and anti-apoptotic action mediated by Bcl-2 as well as reduction of the oxidative stress biomarkers.