Essential Oil of Lippia alba Protects Against Ischemic-Reperfusion Acute Kidney Injury

Abstract

Abstract Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) -induced Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by hypoxia and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could be prevented with antioxidant agents. The essential oil of Lippia alba (EOLA) chemotype citral-limonene is rich in components with antioxidant activity. So, this study aims to evaluate the nephroprotective effect of the EOLA on in vivo and in vitro models of renal I/R. Male Wistar rats were submitted to right nephrectomy, followed by ischemia by clamping the renal artery in the left kidney and a reperfusion. Animals received EOLA (200 mg/kg) or vehicle three days prior to I/R surgery. Blood and urine samples were obtained to evaluate creatinine, urea, uric acid, and creatinine clearance. The left kidney was collected for histological evaluations and analysis of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH). HK-2 cells were used to evaluate the effect of EOLA on I/R in vitro, using the MTT assay. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to evaluate cell morphological alterations. The I/R resulted in biochemical parameter alterations, with EOLA reverting all these alterations. Histological evaluation showed that EOLA protected the morphological changes caused by I/R. Also, EOLA was able to reduce TBARS and increase GSH levels in renal tissue. In the tubular cells, the EOLA partially reversed the damage caused by I/R, which was observed through the SEM. The EOLA showed effect against I/R-induced AKI through pre-treatment, protecting biochemical and oxidative parameters in vivo and reversing tubular cell damage in vitro.

Keywords

• Ischemia
• Reperfusion
• Acute Kidney Injury
• Citral-Limonene.