The preventive effects of Ulva lactuca aqueous extract, ulvan polysaccharides and atorvastatin on ethylene glycol-induced hyperoxaluria

OBJECTIVE: Kidney stones are a common complication of hyperoxaluria. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective and preventive effects of Ulva lactuca aqueous ex-tract, ulvan polysaccharides and atorvastatin on ethylene glycol-induced hyperoxaluria.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats between 110 and 145 g in weight were used in the study, Ulva lactuca aqueous extract and polysaccharides were prepared. The male albi-no rats were supplemented with 0.75 percent ethylene glycol (v/v) in their drinking water for six weeks to induce hyperoxaluria. Ulvan infu-sions (100 mg/kg body weight), ulvan polysac-charides (100 mg/kg body weight), and atorvas-tatin (two milligrams/kg body weight) to treat hyperoxaluric rats for four weeks (every other day) were used. Weight loss, serum creatinine, serum urea, serum uric acid, serum oxalate, kid-ney oxalate, kidney lipid peroxidation, and kid-ney DNA fragmentation and kidney histopatho-logical studies were done. RESULTS: Weight loss, rise of serum creati-nine, serum urea, serum uric acid, serum oxa-late, kidney oxalate, kidney lipid peroxidation, and kidney DNA fragmentation were all shown to be prevented by the addition of atorvastatin, polysaccharides, or aqueous extract, respec-tively. Catalase (CAT) activity, glutathione perox-idase (GPX) activity, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity, and histopathological perturba-tions were all significantly reduced by the medi-cines that were studied.CONCLUSIONS: Hyperoxaluria caused by ethylene glycol may be prevented by a combina-tion of Ulva lactuca aqueous extract, ulvan poly-saccharides, and atorvastatin. A reduction in re-nal oxidative stress and an improvement of the antioxidant defense system may be responsible for these protective benefits. However, Ulva lac-tuca infusion and ulvan polysaccharides need to be studied further in humans, in order to deter-mine their efficacy and safety.

Automated summary

This study aims to investigate the protective and preventive effects of Ulva lactuca aqueous extract, ulvan polysaccharides, and atorvastatin on ethylene glycol-induced hyperoxaluria. The results show that these substances can significantly reduce weight loss, serum creatinine, serum urea, serum uric acid, serum oxalate, kidney oxalate, kidney lipid peroxidation, and kidney DNA fragmentation. They also improve kidney histopathology. Therefore, Ulva lactuca extract and ulvan polysaccharides may be potential treatments for preventing hyperoxaluria.