Chemomodulatory effect of Ficus racemosa extract against chemically induced renal carcinogenesis and oxidative damage response in Wistar rats

Ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) is a well-known renal carcinogen. In this communication, we show the chemopreventive effect of Ficus racemosa extract against Fe-NTA-induced renal oxidative stress, hyper-proliferative response and renal carcinogenesis in rats. Fe-NTA (9 mg Fe/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) enhances renal lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation with reduction in renal glutathione content, antioxidant enzymes, viz., glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phase-II metabolising enzymes such as glutathione-S-transferase and quinone reductase. It also enhances blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and thymidine [H-3] incorporation into renal DNA. It also enhances DEN (N-diethylnitrosamine) initiated renal carcinogenesis by increasing the percentage incidence of tumors. Treatment of rats orally with F racemosa extract (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) resulted in significant decrease in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase, H2O2 generation, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, renal ODC activity, DNA synthesis (P < 0.001) and incidence of tumors. Renal glutathione content (P < 0.01), glutathione metabolizing enzymes (P < 0.001) and antioxidant enzymes were also recovered to significant level (P < 0.001). Thus, our data suggests that F racemosa extract is a potent chemopreventive agent and suppresses Fe-NTA-induced renal carcinogenesis and oxidative damage response in Wistar rats. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.