Combretum micranthum G. Don protects hypertension induced by L-NAME by cardiovascular and renal remodelling through reversing inflammation and oxidative stress

Combretum micranthum (CM) leaves is commonly used as a traditional medication in West Africa to treat diabetes and renal illness. However, the effectiveness of CM extract in hypertensive nephmpathy is not scientifically validated. The present experiment designed to illustrate the protecting ability of standardized extract of CM in L-NAME (N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) intoxicated hypertensive nephropathic condition in rats and establish its mechanism. For induction, L-NAME (50 mg/Kg/day, p.o) was administered to male Wistar rats for six weeks to induce hypertensive nephropathy. Simultaneously, groups of rats were also treated with CM extract (200 mg/Kg/day and 400 mg/Kg/day) and Coversyl (5 mg/Kg/day) for the same period. Every week, the blood pressure, Electrocardiography and body weight of experimental animals were measured. At the end of the study, cardiac, liver and renal function tests were performed. Serum nitric oxide (NO), serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), renal and cardiac oxidative stress markers were estimated. Furthermore, the extent of beneficial effect was reconfirmed by histopathological evaluation of heart and kidney tissues. Chronic L-NAME administration exhibited a reduction in serum nitric oxide (NO) along with the rise in blood pressure parameters. The deleterious hypertensive nephropathy was further confirmed by higher levels of oxidative stress, cardiac, renal and liver function markers and histopathological changes in myocardial and renal tissues. Daily oral administration of CM extract improved kidney function by reducing cardiac injury, renal damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and histopathological changes caused by L-NAME hypertension. The present study provided the scientific confirmation about the traditional claims of Combretum micranthum.

Automated summary

The present study confirmed the protective effects of Combretum micranthum extract on L-NAME-induced hypertensive nephropathy, and it also showed improvements in cardiac and renal damage.