EFFECT OF SODIUM ARSENITE ON THE KIDNEY AND ITS REMEDY WITH COMBINED EXTRACTS OF ALLIUM SATIVUM AND GONGRONEMA LATIFOLIUM USING RATS

Sodium arsenite is a toxicant with nephrotoxic potential. This study proves that combined extracts of Gongronema latifolium and Allium sativum can protect the kidney from this toxicity. Fifty male Wistar rats (115 - 280g) were obtained for this experiment. They were sustained with commercial rat’s feed pellets and water. The rats were grouped into ten groups of five rats each. Group1 rats were the normal control, Groups 2, 3 and 4 were administered with 10mg/kg bw of sodium arsenite intraperitoneally on day 1only, day 1 - 7 and day 7 only, respectively. Groups 5 and 6 rats were administered with 200mg/kg bw of Gongronema latifolium and Allium sativum respectively through oral gavaging from day 1 - 6, and 10mg/kg bw of sodium arsenite intraperitoneally on day 7, respectively. Group 7 rats were administered with 100mg/kgbw each of Gongronema latifolium and Allium sativum through oral gavaging from day 1 – 6, and 10mg/kgbw of sodium arsenite intraperitoneally on day 7. Groups 8 and 9 rats were administered with 200mg/kg bw of Gongronema latifolium only and Allium sativum only, respectively through oral gavaging. Group 10 rats were treated with 100mg/kg bw each of Gongronema latifolium and Allium sativum through oral gavaging from day 1 to 7. The rats were sacrificed 24 hours after the last administration and blood sample was collected for kidney function tests, and also the kidney for histological analysis. The results showed that the rats treated with sodium arsenite only, for different durations, had different degrees of nephrotic damage while those treated with single extracts and the toxicant showed moderate damage. The group treated with combined extracts and the toxicant was completely protected from all forms of nephrotic damage as evidently observed. KEYWORDS: Allium sativum; Gongronema latifolium; kidney; nephrotoxicity; rats; sodium arsenite..