Effect of Ocimum sanctum (OS) aqueous leaf extract on gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in albino rats

ABSTRACT Objectives: To study the effect of Ocimum sanctum aqueous leaf extract on gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in albino rats. Methods: Nephrotoxicity was induced by gentamicin 80 mg/kg/d i.p. for 15 days. To study short term effect of Ocimum sanctum , OS aqueous leaf extract was administered p.o. in a dose of 100mg/kg/dalong with gentamicin for another 15 days. Animals were sacrificed on 15th, 21st and 28th day of the study. To study long term effect, OS aqueous leaf extract was administered for 30 days prior and along with gentamicin for another 15 days. Animals were sacrificed at the end of gentamicin therapy. Kidney damage was assessed biochemically by estimating blood urea, serum creatinine and plasma MDA levels and histopathologically by using a score for structural damage. Results: Short term administration of OS aqueous leaf extract neither significantly decreased the levels of blood urea and serum creatinine nor reduced the histological score on 15th day as compared to the gentamicin treated group. The changes however reversed spontaneously after stopping the gentamicin treatment but the results of 21st and 28th day of the study revealed that short term administration of OS aqueous leaf extract hastened significantly this process of recovery. Long term administration of OS significantly prevented all the biochemical and histological changes induced by gentamicin. Conclusion: Short administration of OS aqueous leaf extract was found to be ineffective in preventing gentamicin induced kidney damage; it only facilitated recovery from nephrotoxicity. Long term administration of OS aqeous leaf extract however significantly prevented gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity.