Therapeutic potential of Origanum vulgare leaf hydroethanolic extract against renal oxidative stress and nephrotoxicity induced by paraquat in rats

Objective: Paraquat is a herbicide with potent toxicity in humans and animals. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Origanum vulgare (O. vulgare) leaf extract on the acute nephrotoxicity and renal oxidative stress caused by paraquat. Materials and Methods: We randomly assigned forty male rats into five groups (G1-G5). The G1 was used as control; G2 only received paraquat (25 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day, po); and G3, G4 and G5 received 25 mg/kg b.w/day oral doses of paraquat and O. vulgare hydroethanolic leaf extract (200, 400, 800 mg/kg bw/day, po, respectively). After 2 weeks, superoxide dismutase (SOD), renal catalase (CAT), vitamin C levels, histopathological changes, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) gene expression as well as serum levels of urea, creatinine (Cr), and protein carbonyl (PC) were determined. Results: In G2, oral administration of paraquat significantly increased (p<0.05) serum Cr, urea, PC, and renal TNF-alpha gene expression relative to those of the control group. Renal catalase, superoxide dismutase, and vitamin C levels were decreased significantly (p<0.05) in G2 as compared to G1. Administration of O. vulgare leaf extract not only increased the renal vitamin C, CAT, and SOD but also decreased the renal TNF-alpha gene expression, malondialdehyde (MDA), serum urea and creatinine in paraquat-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Conclusion: Our results show that O. vulgare leaf extract has protective effects against nephrotoxicity induced by paraquat in rats. It seems that the nephroprotective effects of O. vulgare extract may be related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.