Preventive effect of Phyllanthus amarus on high fructose diet induced renal damage in male wistar rats

Increased number of population with renal damage is attributed to sedentary life style and consumption of high sugar diets especially fructose. The purpose of present study is to investigate the renoprotective activity of aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus (PAAEt) against high fructose diet (HFD) induced renal damage (RD) in Wistar rats. High fructose diet (66% fructose) alone and in combination with PAAEt (200 mg/kg/body wt/day) was given simultaneously to group-F and group-F+T rats respectively for a period of 60 days. Functional markers of renal tissue such as, urea, uric acid and creatinine levels in plasma were quantified on initial and final day of the experiment. Activities of transaminases, gluconeogenic enzymes such as, glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase), and fructose-1, 6- bisphosphatase (F-1,6-BPase) and polyolpathway enzymes such as, aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase were assayed in kidney. Oxidative stress (OS) markers such as, lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation and antioxidants status were measured in renal tissue. Renal histopathological changes were also examined. Co-treatment with PAAEt to group-F+T prevented the rise in the levels of functional markers and elevated activities of transaminases, gluconeogenic and polyolpathway enzymes of group-F (P < 0.05). OS developed in group-F by elevated stress markers and depletion of antioxidants were prevented in group-F+T. The observed histological changes in group-F were protected in group-F+T. Group-C+T showed no histological changes with group-C. Thus, PAAEt effectively alleviated fructose diet induced RD which may be due to its antioxidant activity. Hence this plant could be used as an adjuvant therapy for the prevention and/or management of HFD induced RD.